Where Did My Money Actually Go?
That is a question I find myself asking on a very regular basis.
Whenever I scroll through Instagram, I see friends and acquaintances living what looks like a very full life with yearly international and domestic trips abroad, concert after concert, fitness classes, dining at restaurants that would make my wallet quietly weep. And I get it, I really do. Those things look wonderful. I want those things too. But with the cost of living in Canada impacting to some degree for some, like gas prices to groceries somehow slowly getting more expensive every single week, and dining out feels like a luxury - the budget has a way of making those decisions for you.
For Me, It’s the Matcha Latte
If I’m being honest with myself, my version of that is matcha lattes.
I know, I know. “But Jen, if you add up all those matcha lattes …”. Yes. I hear you. I’ve done the math. But here’s the thing: when everything feels a little overwhelming and a little expensive and a little too much, a matcha latte is my affordable moment of peace. It’s cheaper than a fitness class. It’s cheaper than therapy. And it makes me happy in a very simple, uncomplicated way. I’m going to keep drinking them, and I’m not going to feel bad about it.
The real issue isn’t the matcha latte. The real issue is that I wasn’t keeping track of where everything else was going.
Enter: The Budget Tracker
A few months ago, I finally downloaded a budget tracking app, and honestly it was long overdue. I am not a finance expert - I’m just someone who reached a point where I needed to actually know where my money was going each month instead of just hoping for the best.
The app helped me see what I was spending on average across different categories, which made it a lot easier to figure out where to adjust and what to actually budget going forward. It’s one of those things that feels a little confronting at first, but genuinely useful once you get into it. In that way, I do not need to blindly over spend money on things I should not be doing.
The Sinking Fund Discovery
One thing I came across a little later than I would like to admit is the concept of sinking funds - setting aside small amounts regularly for bigger expenses you know are coming down the line. Things like yearly subscriptions, skincare and hair-care products, new tech, travel, or an emergency fund. The idea is that when the time comes to actually spend that money, it doesn’t feel like a gut punch because you have already been quietly saving for it all along. I will be making a sinking fund later on once I figure out the statistics from the budget tracker rather than randomly picking a number for each month.
It sounds simple, and it is - but knowing about it and actually doing it are two very different things. Better late than never, I suppose!
Baby steps toward getting my financial life together. One budget category, and one matcha latte at a time. ☕
Anyways, that’s all my reflection for the day, and thank you for reading it.
See you all next time.