I'm not like a regular budgeter, I'm a cool budgeter.
Lolol, ok, not really... I've literally never considered myself "cool".😂🤓
By “being cool”, I mean that I’m going to recommend that you keep getting your fancy coffees.
And I stand 100% behind that recommendation. Let me explain.
Here's the thing: so many other personal finance people out there are going to tell you that in order to save money, you need to stop buying a coffee every day, and I honestly cannot stand that advice.
You're telling me I need to give up one of my most favorite things in the world? 🥴
I don't think so, Tim.
There are other ways to make room in your budget that don't involve totally depriving yourself of the things that make you happy.
And deprivation is the first step to a failing budget.
Here are three steps to keep your daily java in your budget:
1. Add “Coffee” as a line item under the variable expenses section of your spending plan.
A spending plan is -get this- a plan for your spending. One reason I love the term “spending plan” is that a spending plan feels like permission whereas “budget” can sometimes feel restrictive. A spending plan is created by you FOR you - so put the things on there that mean something to you and make your life better - coffee being just that.
2. Decide once on a weekly amount and buy a gift card in that amount.
“Decide once” is a principle in the book, “The Lazy Genius Way” by Kendra Adachi, which is one of my FAVORITE books. Look back and see, on average, how much you’ve been spending on coffee anyway. If that looks like a good number to you, then decide once that that is your weekly coffee budget, and then each week {or on whenever pay day is}, go ahead and buy a gift card in that amount for the following week.
3. Take full advantage of rewards.
Seriously, bestie, this is an obvious one. If the coffee shop you get your coffee from offers rewards or points on each purchase, and you’re not taking full advantage of that reward system, then you are doing yourself a disservice. The second step is to then actually use the points! Don’t feel guilty, you earned those points!
Could you also get a small instead of a medium sometimes or go every other day instead of every single day? Or get a regular coffee instead of a latte?
Yeah, sure, if that's what you want to do. I just believe there is too much *value* in some things to let them go completely in the name of saving money.
Deprivation is what causes so many budgets to fail. So let's stop doing that to ourselves, yeah?
This is where a Spending Plan can really help. A Spending Plan helps you see where you can save in order to be able to spend on the things that make you happy.
And it just so happens that the Budget|BFF Simple Spending Plan is available in case you're looking for a new way of planning your spending in a way that includes room for the things that bring you joy.
In the meantime, go get yourself a fancy coffee, and enjoy it to the last drop.☕️
Cheers!
Caitlin
