My buddy told me my budget was a total fantasy and he was right

I used to track my spending in a notebook, just rounding everything up or down. I thought I was saving about $300 a month. Then my friend Mike looked at it over a beer and said, 'Dude, you're not counting the coffee, the gas station snacks, or that streaming service you forgot about. This isn't a budget, it's a wish list.' He was brutal, but he was right. I started using a free app that pulls all my bank transactions and shows every single dollar. The first month, I found over $150 going to stuff I didn't even remember buying. It was a huge wake-up call. Now I know exactly where my money goes. Has anyone else had a friend give them a harsh money truth that actually helped?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessesingh8d ago

Friends like that are worth their weight in gold.

anthony4268d ago

Absolutely! My buddy drove two hours just to help me move a couch last month. Didn't even let me buy him lunch, just said that's what friends do. Really makes you appreciate the good ones.