The word “budget” may be like nails on a chalkboard. Budgeting doesn’t have to be the death of you and your social life. A budget can empower you to do more of the things you love in life. More importantly, changing your budget mid-month doesn’t need to be associated with guilt either. This month I changed my budget guilt-free, here’s how.
How I Changed My Budget This Month
This is my birth month (what-what!). I LOVE birthdays. Shout out to my girl Natalie who’s coming in town for a girl’s weekend to celebrate. YAAS.
In addition to my regular expenses for the month I allocated some extra cash for my birthday: $85 on a massage and $50 for a trim/blowout. Fancy pants, I know. Historically I’ve roughed it in the beauty department with $15 haircuts where my stylist wets my hair with a spray bottle and cuts.
Related Posts:
- 13 Low Key Things to Do on Your Birthday
- 57 Birthday Freebies: Get Free Stuff
- How to Be Social When Paying off Debt
- How to Be Social without Spending a Ton of Money
- Baby I Was Born This Way: My Birth Story
- How to Throw a Great Party (Without Spending a Fortune)
What I Changed in My Budget this Month
Last week I shared how I had my first “demo” day. The bunk beds were fixed to the wall. I had to pry, unscrew, and demolish them. You can see the pics here!
I was going to wait until Black Friday to by a drill on sale next month. A handy screwdriver got the job almost completely done until the end. That’s when my values and budget mid-month changed and I needed a saw. I also decided to go ahead and get a drill!
How I Changed My Budget This Month (Guilt-Free!)
As soon as I started tackling my “demo” day, it was like a monster inside of me came alive. Instead of relaxation, I craved RENOVATING!
Instead of spending $50 on hair and $85 on a massage, I bought a saw and drill! LOL! I tried, I really tried doing the girly girl thing and instead I bought tools! I’ve experienced more joy in this last week tackling my DIY projects than imaginable. It’s a ton of work with lots of “whoops” moments too.
How I Avoided Feeling Guilty for Changing My Budget
If you’re like me, change or adjustments can be associated with feeling like you’re not doing “good enough.” Then, the natural response is massive feelings of guilt. That’s no fun. Getting rid of guilt with money isn’t easy, it’s a process. I had to give myself permission to adapt to changes in my project that dealt with my budget.
Brene Brown, a Social Scientist, defines guilt as, “adaptive and helpful – it’s holding something we’ve done or failed to do up against our values and feeling psychological discomfort.”
With that in mind, I knew that I wasn’t “blowing” my budget and overspending. Instead, I was simply adapting my budget. It was a quid pro quo situation. I was trading this for that. My bottom line was the same!
P.S. Want to feel less stress or guilt and more organized with your money life? Let’s work together. Get the details about a 1-hour money coaching session!
