212 | You Don't Need a Budget

A budget is too rigid - you either pass or fail which leads to fleeting pride or enduring shame.

It's too arbitrary - cars don't breakdown and musicians don't go on tour because our budget said they should.

It's too lifeless - budgeting stats don't typically make it on headstones.

But you have to track your spending.

Because spending is too important - all the color of life flows out of how we spend.

It's too emotional - we have to validate (or challenge!) all those feelings swirling through our heads.

It's too unpredictable - some is fun, some is obligatory, and some makes us sick. Some spending repeats and some doesn't, but no matter what, it's helpful to distinguish which is which.

And once you track, you have to reflect.

"Interesting...we spent that much last year on that thing."
"I'd love to spend less on this, so we can spend more on that."
"I wonder if that's how much we'll spend this coming year too."

With each reflection, we add a deposit to the "I-feel-freedom-in-spending" bank that an "I-missed-the-budget-again" slap on the wrist can never match.

There's even a chance that once we track it, we might get a better sense of what to expect next time.

But please don't call that a "budget", because then we're right back where we started.