Stop Treating Your Budgeting Basics Like a 'Maybe Someday' Vibe
By Nina — I'm the friend who tells you what you need to hear about your situationship. ·
Let’s Stop Romanticizing the Struggle
Look, I love a good aesthetic as much as the next Brooklynite. My apartment has the exposed brick, the monstera plant that’s somehow still alive, and a collection of ceramic mugs that definitely don’t match. But there is one place where aesthetic obsession needs to die, and that’s in your bank account.
I see so many of you treating your finances like that guy who tells you he’s "just not in a place to commit right now." You’re waiting for the perfect moment, the higher salary, or some magical shift in the universe where you’ll suddenly just know how to manage your money. Newsflash: That moment is a myth, just like his "busy schedule." If you aren’t managing the budget you have today, you aren’t going to manage the budget you have tomorrow. You’re just going to have more money to mismanage.
The 'I’ll Just Figure It Out' Lie
We love to tell ourselves that being broke or living paycheck to paycheck is just part of the "city life" or a "phase." It’s the ultimate gaslighting of yourself. You tell yourself, “I’ll track my spending when I get my bonus,” or “I’ll start saving once I stop going out so much.”
Let me be the friend who tells you what you need to hear: You aren’t waiting for a better time; you’re waiting for permission to take control. Budgeting isn’t about restricting your joy or cutting out your $7 iced oat milk lattes. It’s about making sure your money is actually doing what you want it to do, rather than disappearing into a void of late-night Uber Eats and subscriptions you forgot you signed up for in 2022.
Step 1: Face the Ugly Truth
Before you can fix anything, you have to look at the wreckage. Most of you are scared to check your banking app because you know what you’ll see. It’s like checking your ex’s Instagram stories—you know it’s going to hurt, but you do it anyway, and then you spend the rest of the day spiraling.
Except, in this case, the spiral is actually productive. Print out your last three months of bank statements. Yes, the physical paper. Use a highlighter. Mark every single charge that was a "convenience" purchase. If you’re buying lunch out every single day because you didn't prep, that’s not a lifestyle, that’s a leak. You need to see exactly where the money is bleeding out before you can plug the hole.
Step 2: The 50/30/20 Rule (But Make It Realistic)
You’ve heard of the 50/30/20 rule: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for savings. It’s the gold standard, but let’s be real—when you live in an expensive city, 50% for rent and utilities feels like a pipe dream.
Adjust the percentages if you have to, but keep the logic. If you’re spending 70% on needs, you have to be honest about what a "need" actually is. Is that premium streaming bundle a need? Is the gym membership you use once every two weeks a need? Be ruthless. Being a rebel in your own life means rejecting the consumer culture that tells you your worth is tied to how much you consume.
Step 3: Automate Like You’re Ghosting a Bad Date
If you have to manually transfer money to your savings account, you’re never going to do it. You’ll talk yourself out of it. "Oh, I’ll just transfer it next week," you’ll say. And then next week, you’ll have a birthday dinner to pay for.
Set up an auto-transfer for the day your paycheck hits. Even if it’s $50. Just make it happen automatically so you don’t even see it in your checking account. It’s the financial equivalent of blocking your ex’s number—you don’t have to think about it, you don’t have to negotiate with yourself, it’s just done.
Step 4: The 'Wait 48 Hours' Rule
This is my favorite trick. When you see something you want—that pair of boots, the new tech gadget, the random stuff on TikTok—put it in your cart and walk away. Do not buy it. Wait 48 hours.
Ninety percent of the time, the impulse dies. You realize you didn't actually need it; you were just bored or looking for a dopamine hit. If you still want it after two days, fine. Buy it. But at least you’re making a conscious decision instead of letting an algorithm decide for you.
You Are the Main Character
Budgeting isn’t about being boring. It’s about being the boss of your own life. When you know exactly where your money is going, you stop feeling anxious about your bank balance. You stop feeling like life is happening to you and start realizing you’re the one steering the ship.
Stop settling for a messy financial life just because it’s familiar. You deserve more stability than that. You deserve to know that your future self is going to thank you for the boundaries you’re setting today.
So, are you ready to stop acting like your bank account is a situationship you’re too afraid to define? Let’s grab a (budget-friendly) coffee and talk through your numbers. Slide into my DMs or drop a comment below—I’m always here to help you get your shit together.