2019 was the first year that my husband and I had all of our expenses in the same place. Talk about transparency. You Need A Budget (YNAB) has helped us allocate our money and set intention for spending. Comparing intention to reality? That’s another story.
I kind of geeked out about the data at the beginning of the year. And by kind of, I mean I created three spreadsheets worth of analysis and developed a 38-slide powerpoint presentation for my husband. You guys, it had motivational quotes. #IHaveAProblem #TheFirstStepIsAcknoweldgement
What were my top takeaways from this process?
- We spent a lot of time and money on travel. We were on trips 43 days last year – and that doesn’t include our work travel.
- Our dining out spending was more than I had thought. We averaged $700 a month for the two of us. Granted, when my husband and I were first dating, he’d spend $800 a month eating out for himself alone. I was on the opposite end of the spectrum.
- We spent a lot of money on things that didn’t bring us closer to the life we want to live. I had the “magic number” salary of $85,000 a year for peak happiness, but I was exhausted and burnt out all the time. My anxiety kept spiking through the roof, and money didn’t make it better.
These three points have really framed my recommitment to exploring Financial Independence. In so many ways, we spent money to try to drive up our energy, but the opposite happened. I don’t know where it went wrong, but I want to find out.