Unless you're a trillionaire, or one of his buddies, we all have to decide on our trade-offs. A trade-off means looking at the whole picture of your life goals and deciding where your money goes. When we say no to an expense, what are we saying yes to?

Typical Spending Categories

Here's a list of common spending categories:

• Housing
• Food
• Clothes
• Utilities
• Debt repayment
• Insurance
• Public transportation
• Car + home maintenance
• Gas
• Personal care
• Childcare
• Petcare
• Healthcare
• Travel
• Gifts
• Subscriptions
• Gym + wellness memberships/products
• Donations
• Hobbies
• Entertainment
• Dining out/takeout
• Annual or irregular bills/expenses
• Investing
• Savings

The list can go on, but as you can see, some of these are essentials and some are discretionary. A few don't apply to me, since I don't have kids or pets. Some won't apply to you either.

Your Trade-Offs Aren't My Trade-Offs

We each have our own needs and wants. What's a trade-off for you might be essential for me. That's part of what makes budgeting and building a spending plan so hard. We know what to do: list what we spend and how much. But how do we actually put it into practice? And maybe more importantly, what trips us up?

Budgets feel restrictive because we focus so much on what we're saying no to. But remember, when we say no to something, we're saying yes to something else. I'm spending less on books so I can save more for travel. I love books. Going to bookstores is one of my favorite things in the world.

If you're curious, here's how I cut back on book spending or skip to the next section.

Litsa's Tangent

My recovery-from-book-overspending plan: as of today, I'm paying for Kindle Unlimited (monthly), Libro.fm, the independent bookseller version of Audible (monthly), Audible (every other month), and using my Libby app for library books. Maybe that sounds like a lot, but for me, it's significantly less than my former spending habit. For reference, I used to spend anywhere from $50 to $100 most months on books and magazines. And here's the best part: I still go to bookstores, but instead of picking up anything that "looks good," I take a picture of it and see if I can find it at the library. Alternatively, I check Libby or download a sample on my Kindle. If I really want it, I add it to my wishlist. I also no longer buy a book just because I like the author. I've learned that liking someone's previous work doesn't mean I'll like their current one. Live and learn. Or rather, read and regret. 😞

Ready to Build Your Spending Plan?

So, what are you saying yes to? I offer an asynchronous review of your budget. Send me your current spending plan or a list of your expenses, and I'll send back a 20-ish minute video walking through your spending plan, plus a written report on next steps. Email me back if you're interested, or learn more about the Budget Rescue Review here. Sign up before July 19th and pay $37 instead of $47.

Now It's Your Turn

So, what are you saying yes to these days? Send me an email and let me know.

And do you like my tangents? If you work with me or know me personally, you know I go off on them. 99% of the time I circle back to my point, but that's just how I think. I'm leaning into my tendencies. LOL.

Until next time my friend,

Litsa