The Budget Isn’t Broken — Maybe it’s Your Relationship with Money
How many times have you, or someone you know, said the following?
“I have tried budgeting, and it just didn’t work.”
Or maybe a similar line, such as,
“I tried to diet, but it just didn’t work.”
While yes, there are sometimes external factors that can impact the success of our plans, often times the most common issue that exists is ourselves. Maybe it is time to ask the question.
"Do I have a broken relationship when it comes to money?”
Budgeting Apps and Spreadsheets are Tools, not Solutions
I used to firmly believe that all people need to do is get a budget together, follow it, and you’ll be set. Truthfully, this still holds at the core, but there is a key component that all these tools, whether phone apps, computer programs, or spreadsheets, lack. The ability to adjust our habits. You see, budgeting often ignores habits. It doesn’t account for the dopamine hits or the comforts of treating ourselves. Further, budgets tend to be reactive, not proactive. They track what we’ve spent (past tense) rather than helping to align with our spending (present). Lastly, people struggle and then look for a place to blame. Maybe we blame the budget, or blame ourselves, but the truth may be that the budget did not fit your real life!
Your Emotions are Key in Money Management
Think over the last time you made an impulse purchase. Was it out of boredom? Maybe you’d been feeling a little down and wanted a pick-me-up? (This was me just this week — I was tired, feeling down, so Sonic called my name!) Was there something to celebrate?
None of these are, in themselves, necessarily bad.
But what part of an app or spreadsheet is taking that into account? Money is never just about numbers — it’s about how we feel when we spend money. There are so many common emotions tied to money.
Shame - “I should be better with my money.”
Fear - “What if my bank account is worse than I thought?”
Guilt - “I bought something for myself instead of saving.”
This is where financial coaching comes in. We can help you with these emotional patterns by recognizing the patterns you fall into and building awareness, which leads to change. Without addressing the emotional side, even the best budgeting system will collapse under the weight of your mindset.
Your Values Matter
Instead of asking “What do I need to cut?” values-based budgeting starts with “What is most important to me? What is my goal?”
This shift is powerful.
You might discover a few things about yourself:
Financial security and confidence in an emergency mean more to you than you realized.
You might like traveling more than eating out.
Saving for a home gives you more joy than upgrading your phone.
Having peace of mind means more than shopping for clothes.
By aligning your budget with Your Values, you start seeing money as a tool for getting what you want, not a set of restrictions to follow.
But no spreadsheet can do this for you.
This is why we are eager to work alongside you and help you make changes in your life to help you meet goals, to make changes, and to find the goal based values that make your budget work for you.
