money rules to keep me sane
none of this is meant to be financial advice at all. this is more like accountability for me as i get older and want to be more responsible and less crazy about my money stuff.
it feels like i always say this, but i didn't grow up rich, and i've always been scared about growing up to be an adult who can't handle their own money. so i'm constantly auditing myself and my process because i don't want to fuck up and make the same money mistakes my parents did.
so far, these are the "money rules" i live by that keep me sane. i might add to these depending on how my finances go in the future, who knows.
"if you can't buy it twice, you can't afford it."
i did this with my pc, which made the saving-up-for-it journey basically twice as long. but it's nice to spend on something big and not feel bad after because i'm not back to zero. like, it genuinely was worth the wait once i booted it up the first time.
this is good practice for medium-ish, substantial purchases, like a new phone, or a gaming peripheral. or a new book. or a fancy meal at a fancy restaurant. i just never want to hit zero, so it's become a habit for me to multiply price tags by two.
to be fair: i guess some exceptions are allowed, like emergency or medical expenses, or when you're buying something you don't really need two of — like a house.
tracking every expense
it's just good to know where my money is going. it also feels good to see the days where i don't spend on anything. i use an app for my personal expense tracking, but g and i share a spreadsheet for conjugal, household spending.
helps me feel sane and not too guilty about spending a bit of the money i work hard to earn. i don't really have any digital subscriptions (aside from extra icloud space) because i don't think i'm there yet, but i bet tracking your expenses while juggling five different subscriptions must feel pretty great.
"do i actually want it, or do i want others to see that i have it?"
this is from a youtube video i saw some time ago. i'm actively working on this, in line with my push-and-pull re: self-curation and perception in general. i think i can distinguish between the two well, but sometimes it's worth stopping and asking myself this to keep me in check.
i'm trying to get rid of the guilt i get when wanting to spend money, just so that working for that money doesn't feel so pointless. so sometimes i want silly purchases, and sometimes they are more intentional purchases. either way, it's good to think about why i want to spend on a thing, silly or not.
being "financially naked" with my partner
i came across the term "financially naked" in a personal finance book i read for fun, and really liked the concept of it.
g and i are pretty transparent about our finances with each other. and as a double income, no kids household (albeit with cats), we share a conjugal fund for shared expenses like rent and utility bills (and the occasional vet bills) away from our personal funds and savings.
i think this is just good practice and can prevent unnecessary fights about money down the road. no surprise debts, no surprise losses, no surprise bills. i don't think there's anything worse than finding out your partner was hiding something money-related.
that's about it, for now.
i feel like it's important to have some money rules for yourself, wherever you are in life. it helps make the long and stressful work days worth it. helps keep you sane! i don't know. these are what work with me, and i'm sure other people go by other rules. whatever works.