242 | The Financial Tripod: The 3 Things Your Budget Is Missing

You know you should budget. You might even want to budget. But somewhere between knowing you should and actually sitting down to do it, something stops you. The thought of putting all of your numbers in a spreadsheet scares you because you are afraid of what the numbers will say. Maybe you think they will affirm that you have never been good with money.In this episode I want to kindly challenge your spreadsheet fears because avoiding the trade-offs in your finances does not actually eliminate them. It just makes them invisible. And invisible trade-offs are exhausting, because now you are constantly asking yourself whether you can afford something, whether you saved enough last month, whether you should book the trip, whether you should put more toward your credit card. You can make really good money and still live in that constant state of uncertainty, and that is exactly what I want to change for you.Today I am introducing what I call the financial tripod, a framework for building a balanced approach to your finances that invites you to look at your money from a completely different perspective. Instead of asking how much you should save or what you have to give up, I want you to start asking how you can manage your money well, spend your money well, and save well all at the same time. I also walk through a real client example where she came in thinking she spent $200 a month eating out and we discovered together that the real number was closer to $600, and why that kind of awareness is not about restriction but about finally being able to make choices that are actually yours.In this episode you'll learn...[00:04:30] Why the real reason most people avoid budgeting is not the spreadsheet itself [00:09:15] What the financial tripod is[00:14:40] What true balance looks like in a budget [00:24:45] Why the spreadsheet doesn’t actually matter [00:29:10] What intentional spending and values-based budgeting actually look like in practiceTune in to this episode of Money Files to learn how the financial tripod reframes what budgeting actually is so you can stop avoiding your numbers and start building a financial life where you are managing your money well, spending your money well, and saving well all at the same time.Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/the-financial-tripod-the-3-things-your-budget-is-missing/ Links mentioned in this episode…Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over NowDownload my FREE spending plan