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My friend called my budget 'just a wish list' and it stung
She was right, because I never tracked actual spending against my plan. I switched to a simple spreadsheet and found I was overspending on groceries by $200 a month. How do you guys make sure your budget is real and not just a guess?
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diana_bell741mo ago
Oh man, that's the real trick, isn't it? I had to do the same thing. My "budget" was pure fiction until I started writing down every single coffee and gas station snack. Turns out my "miscellaneous" category was just a black hole for lazy spending. Now I use cash for my fun money for the week, and when it's gone, it's gone.
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coleman.derek1mo ago
Oh geez, yeah that "miscellaneous" category is a killer. I did the same thing, thought I had $100 for random stuff and it turned out to be more like $400. But here's what I'm wondering - when you check your bank app every Sunday, do you actually adjust your spending during the week if you see you're going over, or do you just note it and try again next month? Cause I'll look at it, feel bad for five minutes, then go buy a burrito anyway.
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kai_stone991mo ago
Honestly, how many of us have been there with a budget that's just numbers on paper? Tbh I did the exact same thing for years until I started checking my bank app every Sunday. Ngl seeing the real spending next to my plan was a wake up call, especially on takeout. Now I just move money to different savings buckets right after I get paid, so the budget has to be real.
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