It happens to most of us. You tense up when you open your mobile banking app, telling yourself that money is a constant source of stress. But is it really the money? Or is it how you think about money? At Budget YOU!, we don't do boring, restrictive spreadsheets. Instead, we use a simple, empowering formula that changes everything: WHY you buy + WHAT you need = HOW you budget Nail that and your spending—as well as your life—starts making a whole lot more sense. You re

Have you ever won big on a game show? No? Well, me neither. Most of us are simply spectators when a contestant’s eyes bulge out with their incredible prizes. A new car! A living room makeover! A trip to Fiji! It can be exciting to watch but most of us are going to get those things the old-fashioned way. We buy them. But that doesn’t mean we don’t get incredibly excited when we make the purchase. In fact, we may even be tempted to go a bit overboard when we look

The last couple of weeks, we’ve covered the critical accounts you’ll need for urgent and emergency situations: your Phew! Fund for the expected unexpected and your Emergency Fund that covers your expenses if you lose your income. Those are essential. And rather a downer. But life is meant to be enjoyed . . . which is why we reward ourselves once we get those two accounts rolling. When you’ve set aside at least $1,000 in your Phew! Fund and started your Emergency Fund, i

Some topics in personal finance don't get a fun graphic or a witty opener. This is one of them. One of the most frightening things that can happen to us is losing our income. The reasons for that vary . . . and none of those reasons are fair. A company closes. AI eliminates a department. A nonprofit loses its major donors. A medical crisis makes it impossible to work. A natural disaster shuts everything down. Governments face shortfalls and positions are slashed. No way

We've all heard the alarm: most Americans don't have enough savings to cover an emergency. That's usually followed by advice to save three to six months of living expenses. I agree — but there's a step most financial advice skips entirely. A money goal that's far more manageable to start with. I call it a Phew! Fund. Here's the thing about life: it's going to smack us in the face occasionally. Our pet gets ill. Our car konks out. A loved one needs our help. These things

“Just a click away!” “Quick and easy check out!” “Buy now, pay later!” We’ve all heard those phrases. And, wow, can they get your dopamine flowing! They can also get your cash flowing . . . right out of your wallet. But there are ways to reduce and even stop that flow. The mindset behind that is to create friction when spending. Even a brief moment or two could be enough to cause the “what am I doing?” part of your brain to catch up with the “this feels sooooo goo

Do you remember your first job? You probably had a great time. You met new people, learned new skills. If you were like me, you and your work pals laughed hysterically. Like, all the time! One thing we didn’t do was think about the company’s finances. We got a paycheck, did a mix of exciting and boring (maybe even gross) tasks, went home. Easy! We were just along for the ride. Thank goodness there was someone behind the scenes paying attention. Somebody put together

What's your favorite whine? That ain’t a typo . . . I’m not asking about the kind that comes in a bottle. I’m asking about the kind we tell ourselves. Some of my favorite money whines are: “I don’t have tiiiiime!” “It’s too haaaaard!” “I’m no good at maaaaath!” Those are excellent whines! They pair beautifully with financial stress, credit card debt and living paycheck-to-paycheck. Funny thing about whines. They usually hide the real problem. At Budget YOU!, we

Remember getting your first credit card offer? You probably felt incredible! After all, someone was saying that not only were you a full-fledged grown-up, you were trustworthy enough to get a credit card. Now you could build credit, take out a loan for a car, maybe even buy a house someday. Most of us were taught how to use a credit card. Few of us were taught how to manage one. Credit card fees and interest add up quickly. The ease of paying tempts you to spend mor

Over the last several weeks, we’ve touched on grocery store engineering, subscription traps, nighttime scrolling, freeloading credit cards and the formula nobody taught you in school. Did any of it make you stop and think? Maybe you looked at your bank statement with fresh eyes. Maybe you deleted a long-forgotten subscription. Maybe you were reaching for your phone on the nightstand but decided to pick up your book beside it instead. Or maybe you thought: I really need

Are you sleepy? For goodness sake, put away the phone and get some sleep! But first... read this. That phone could be costing you a restful night's sleep. That’s bad for your mental and physical health. But it could also be costing you in another way: draining your bank account while you drift off. Numerous studies consistently show that 40% or more of impulse shopping happens from bed. And they also show that nighttime shopping is frequently followed by morning reg

Most budgets don’t fail because of math. They fail because they start in the wrong place. It’s just like life. Think about changes you’ve tried in the past. Exercising more, eating healthier, spending more time learning. We focus on the destination but frequently lack a map. You can go to the gym but, unless you know how to use the equipment, you probably won’t have much success. You can fill a shopping cart full of healthful foods but, unless you know mouthwatering ways

Let’s do a quick exercise. Grab your bank and credit card statements. (I’ll wait.) Take a peek at your recurring charges . . . streaming, apps, memberships, subscriptions. What do you see? How many streaming services are coming out of your account every month? Do you belong to a warehouse club? What gaming platforms are on there? What other companies have access to your accounts for the so-called “convenience” of payment? Book of the month? Wine of the month? Those re

Growing up, you could get your mouth washed out with soap if certain words slipped out . . . especially around grandma. Times have changed and many of those words are now used fairly commonly. For good or bad. But there is one word that never got your mouth all bubbly and yet people still treat like it does: BUDGET. Say that word at Thanksgiving dinner and see what kind of reaction you get. Mention it to your colleagues in the break room and watch them run for cover.

Who knew going to the grocery store could be such an adventure? And not necessarily in a good way! As we grapple with higher prices everywhere we turn, our most painful bill is probably our weekly groceries. The thing is, it’s not just that prices have skyrocketed the past few years: we’re also dealing with temptations everywhere. Grocery stores are laid out to maximize spending. And that likely doesn’t mesh with your idea to maximize saving. Don’t get me wrong . .

Do you feel sucker-punched when you check your bank account? What's running through your mind when you see your credit card statement? Yes, prices are certainly out of control. But we don't have much control over that. You probably meant to dial back spending this month. Or maybe you intended to keep better track of expenses. You may have even taken a deep breath before clicking that statement link, closed your eyes then made a wish that everything would look better than las