“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.”
Everybody does money differently – we all have our own way of approaching things. But ultimately the key to happiness is spending in line with our values.
There are infinite things I could spend money on. People often ask me why is budgeting important It is because money to me is important and eing mindful about my money and where it goes – specifically, spending it on things that enrich my life – gives me immense satisfaction.
I don’t really drink; I don’t have a clothing budget. Here’s where the bulk of my budget goes.
A home environment I love
For me, that’s an Auckland-sized mortgage in order to live in the city I love and grew up in. To have a dog I love. To live in a home free of mould and mushrooms, where I can literally breathe easier. Surprise: warm dry air is a lot better for you than cold wet air. (Sure, theoretically it’s possible to achieve the latter while renting, but quality rentals are rare and expensive and the market is competitive. At that kind of price to me it made more sense to buy – even in a less central location – and pay the premium of rates and maintenance in exchange for long term security and quality.)
Food that makes my tastebuds tingle
Eating out is our main form of entertainment, but we don’t do that very often either. Quality not quantity (although we do tend to do at least one weekend bakery breakfast run). I buy cheese and dips and olive oil with minimal guilt and don’t fret too much at the supermarket checkout till.
Travel and getting away
At this point in time I’m not specifically saving for travel. I’m more than happy just to burrow in at home since buying a place. But at some point a holiday will definitely be in order – I’m just not sure where in the pecking order it will fall as a financial priority just yet. I’d like to do another South Island road trip; visit Melbourne and the Gold Coast; and head back to the US to places both new and old.
How does your budget stack up against your values?
My biggest spending categories in order are housing, food, charity, and health, which I think aligns with my values pretty cleanly.
OOH, good question. While I’ve touched up on this subject before, I don’t think I’ve looked in detail at this lately. I feel a new post coming on!
I also want to do something similar with my time budget–where does my time go? And is it on things that I value the most?
We spend a lot of money on insurance. And yep, we are very risk averse.
We spend quite a bit on food. I have a gluten intolerance which can be annoying because so many things have gluten in them, including vitamins! But my family does eat healthy nonetheless, and we try to buy organic when possible.
Right now, the largest part of my budget goes towards my debt. Getting out of debt is my priority. But in the future I hope that this money will go towards travel!
I think my budget reflects my priorities…healthcare, home, and food being my top 3 expenses.
I think my budget would tell you I like to eat all money. :OP I definitely eat out a lot. I also love traveling, but find it difficult to fit in my schedule these days.