I was budgeting by cutting fun stuff first for 20 years before a neighbor tipped me off

For decades I thought being good with money meant saying no to everything I enjoyed. No eating out, no movies, no weekend trips. I was proud of how much I could pinch. Then my neighbor June saw me turning down a $5 coffee meetup and she asked why. I told her I was saving. She laughed and said 'You are making yourself miserable for no reason, Mary. You need to cut the big stuff like your car payment or that storage unit first.' I sat down and looked at my numbers. She was right. I was spending $180 a month on a storage unit for junk I never used and skipping $20 outings with friends. That was 6 months ago. I canceled the storage, kept the coffee dates, and I actually stick with my budget now because it is not all pain. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized you were punishing yourself instead of being smart?

2 comments

2 Comments

lee.casey19d ago

Small treats add up quick and that mindset is what keeps people broke.

jade_hunt4819d ago

@lee.casey exactly right, that $5 latte mentality is why people wonder where their paycheck went by Wednesday.