The Anti-Budget with Julia Carlson - 153

[00:00:00] Do you ever have those annoying expenses where you aren't quite sure what happened to the money?

[00:00:04] Let's talk with Julia Carlson in today's episode about how to remedy just that.

[00:00:09] Welcome to Money Talk with Skyler Fleming, where money matters become conversation starters. Let's get talking.

[00:00:15] Welcome to today's episode of Money Talk with Skyler Fleming.

[00:00:19] In today's episode, we're talking with Julia Carlson about the anti-budget.

[00:00:23] Julia recently authored the book Money Loves You, and it offers insights that transcend traditional financial wisdom.

[00:00:30] And our discussion today on the anti-budget is going to be great for anyone listening,

[00:00:34] and especially great for those who you share it with and have a money talk with.

[00:00:38] We also talked today about how a money buddy can be helpful for you to improve your financial mindset,

[00:00:43] which means find someone who you can talk about money with and become money buddies.

[00:00:47] And if you're not sure who to talk to about money, reach out to me. My email is in the show notes.

[00:00:52] Also, quick shout out to a new five-star review left by RevF on Apple Podcasts.

[00:00:57] They said,

[00:00:58] Really enjoyed listening to his recent episode and thought there was a ton of good information.

[00:01:02] Def recommend.

[00:01:03] Thanks. I def recommend this podcast as well.

[00:01:06] And I really appreciate the nice and kind five-star review.

[00:01:09] It helps the show grow and it helps me know that people are listening and like the show.

[00:01:13] So please, on your way out of your podcast player today, leave a five-star review.

[00:01:16] I would greatly appreciate it.

[00:01:18] But the money talking points for today's episode are,

[00:01:20] What expenses have you made recently that annoy you?

[00:01:23] And two, how can financial discipline help you find freedom?

[00:01:27] With the money talking points in mind, let's get talking.

[00:01:40] Hello, everybody.

[00:01:41] Welcome to today's interview on Money Talk with Skylar Fleming.

[00:01:44] Joining me today, I'm Julia Carlson, and we're here to talk about the anti-budget

[00:01:48] and maybe a different approach.

[00:01:49] I've talked about this in the past and said,

[00:01:52] if you really just hate budgeting, try this method.

[00:01:54] And I'm excited to have a conversation a little bit more about it in depth.

[00:01:58] Julia, would you mind introducing yourself for everyone?

[00:02:01] Sure. Hello, everyone.

[00:02:02] I'm Julia Carlson.

[00:02:03] I have been in the money business for, gosh, 28 years now.

[00:02:09] I started my career at 19 working for a local bank.

[00:02:12] And by 23, started my own business in financial planning, wealth management,

[00:02:19] and now have four offices inside Oregon.

[00:02:23] But we serve clients all over the United States.

[00:02:26] And we manage over half a billion dollars.

[00:02:29] So I have worked with, yes, I've worked with hundreds, if not thousands of people with money.

[00:02:36] And so I'm excited to share from my perspective today.

[00:02:41] Yeah.

[00:02:42] And if there's something you can take seriously, it's managing like a half a billion dollars.

[00:02:46] That's a lot of zeros.

[00:02:47] I don't think anyone has seen that much money.

[00:02:49] I can't even picture what that would look like on a table or something.

[00:02:52] A lot of money.

[00:02:54] Let's kick it right off with what is the anti-budget?

[00:02:57] I've heard the term before.

[00:02:58] Maybe can you give us some more detail?

[00:03:00] Sure.

[00:03:01] So this is actually a chapter in my new book, Money Loves You.

[00:03:06] And what is an anti-budget?

[00:03:10] Well, it's exactly that.

[00:03:11] It's everything a budget is not.

[00:03:14] And so when people think of the word budget, I know I've had this experience.

[00:03:22] I know a lot of my clients have had this experience of it's like restriction and what I can't do.

[00:03:27] And even between partners, budget is a very hot topic and a heated topic.

[00:03:39] And so I think I wanted to create a way to look at money from a different angle.

[00:03:46] Yes, I think it's important to track our money, but not from a place of restriction and lack and scarcity in fear and guilt.

[00:03:55] Which budget often, all of that stuff comes along with budget.

[00:04:02] So the anti-budget is just a way to think about spending money differently.

[00:04:07] And I'm sure we'll go into more details.

[00:04:10] Yes.

[00:04:11] But I really do like its approach of it just takes the budget head on and says that's not what this is.

[00:04:17] How does it maybe help you have a better relationship with money?

[00:04:21] You mentioned those key things that we think of with budgeting, like guilt and shame and control and things like that.

[00:04:27] How does the anti-budget help with that relationship?

[00:04:30] Yeah, well, it spins it.

[00:04:32] And we all are going to spend money on things that we value.

[00:04:37] So to some people, it could be eating out.

[00:04:41] To other people, it could be good food at the grocery store.

[00:04:46] It could be coffee.

[00:04:51] There's a lot of different ways that we value how we spend money.

[00:04:55] And so I think the important part is you are already going to spend money on things that matter to you.

[00:05:03] And so how do we do that in a joyful way as opposed to feeling guilty when we're spending money on things?

[00:05:11] And so I think it first starts with the money coming in.

[00:05:16] So I've made a lot of money in my life and I started out writing or starting my business.

[00:05:20] I didn't make very much money.

[00:05:22] So this works, I think, in no matter what your income is.

[00:05:26] But the first part is to be grateful for that income.

[00:05:29] Like, look at your income and just really foster gratitude for that.

[00:05:36] And then, hey, you worked really hard for that money.

[00:05:38] How are you going to put it best to use?

[00:05:42] And what I encourage people to do is actually open up their bank statement.

[00:05:45] Look at their credit card statements if they're charging things.

[00:05:49] Look at the last 30 days.

[00:05:51] And no judgment.

[00:05:52] Just think about what did you love spending money on?

[00:05:58] Like, was it your house payment?

[00:06:01] Because you know that you're building equity for your future and you're paying off your mortgage.

[00:06:06] Was it, it could be the massage.

[00:06:09] It could be a dinner out with friends.

[00:06:13] Just what brought you joy?

[00:06:15] And I say let's find a way to keep spending on the things that bring you joy.

[00:06:21] Because that's what life's about.

[00:06:23] There's also going to be just mundane expenses.

[00:06:27] Your comfort expenses.

[00:06:28] Your cell phone.

[00:06:29] The electricity.

[00:06:30] It's like these are all things that we have to pay on a monthly basis that makes life comfortable.

[00:06:36] And that's cool too.

[00:06:38] But then I guarantee you there will be something that is an expense that you don't remember.

[00:06:44] Like, what did I even spend money on?

[00:06:46] Or something that annoys you.

[00:06:49] Or it makes you like grumpy that you, you know.

[00:06:53] Why did I do that?

[00:06:53] I didn't really.

[00:06:54] Yeah.

[00:06:55] Exactly.

[00:06:56] Or like you went to Target and you spent all this money.

[00:06:59] And I'm like, what did I even spend money on?

[00:07:01] Right?

[00:07:02] So those are the, that's the low hanging fruit.

[00:07:05] Like that's the expenses to say, okay, I need to be more aware.

[00:07:08] I need to cut these expenses out and then reallocate that money to something that's going to bring me joy.

[00:07:16] And the hope is that your financial future, what you want for your future, financial stability, retirement, all those things will become a joyful expense that you're investing in.

[00:07:31] That makes sense.

[00:07:32] And once we've done this 30-day kind of review of our charges, how do we take that and actually apply it to the anti-budget?

[00:07:39] And I guess this is more getting into what is an actual anti-budget?

[00:07:44] Yeah.

[00:07:45] So it's, so there's actually a tool.

[00:07:47] If you go to my website, juliamcarlson.com, and you can look, find the tools section or the resources, there's a tool that you actually put your income in.

[00:07:58] And then you actually can choose the joy expenses, the annoyance expenses, and the comfort expenses.

[00:08:09] So you kind of have a snapshot of, okay, where is all my money going?

[00:08:14] And, you know, what we, what we focus on expands.

[00:08:19] And so if we can focus on that income, we focus on how we spend it on joyful things, our future.

[00:08:28] And then the idea is you're not paying attention to the annoyances.

[00:08:34] I mean, you're paying attention, yes, but you want to limit those in the future.

[00:08:39] I think it's just going to make you more aware to how you spend your money.

[00:08:43] It's like a different lens to look at your spending.

[00:08:47] Awesome.

[00:08:47] Yeah, I love that.

[00:08:48] The whole perspective gain from just simply tracking your expenses.

[00:08:52] I tell people that's the first place to start because budgeting, like you said, can bring overwhelm, guilt, shame, because you don't know where you want to spend your money because you don't know where it's going because you're not tracking anything.

[00:09:04] Yeah.

[00:09:05] How does this lead to financial freedom?

[00:09:08] I think we're kind of hinting at it.

[00:09:09] There's going to be some big movement in your emotions around money, but what kind of freedom does the anti-budget lead to?

[00:09:16] Yeah.

[00:09:16] So, I mean, most people, when they think of freedom, they think of like not having to do anything, right?

[00:09:21] Freedom.

[00:09:22] But freedom is actually found in discipline.

[00:09:26] Like when you're following a plan, when you're following, when you're spending money very intentionally on what makes sense for you.

[00:09:35] And we're all different.

[00:09:36] So it can, whatever it is for you, that's great.

[00:09:39] But it's like you want to make sure that you're following a plan.

[00:09:43] You want to make sure that you're not overspending.

[00:09:47] So you have to actually look at it.

[00:09:50] But when you have that data, when you know and you're in charge and in control of your money and you know where it's going, that will bring that sense of freedom.

[00:10:00] So in the discipline of tracking is where you find the freedom.

[00:10:06] And we're talking a whole lot about spending, which is awesome when you get that in control and you're really feeling the, like you said, control and discipline equals freedom.

[00:10:14] But you're constantly feeling like now you're spending money or maybe that's the only thing you're looking at.

[00:10:20] How can you still save for the future with an anti-budget?

[00:10:22] Yeah, so part of my anti-budget is allocated quite a bit of money every month for the future.

[00:10:34] So there's another tool that I talk about where it's your financial, I call it the financial empowerment snapshot.

[00:10:42] So it's taking all of your assets, all of your liabilities, even if it's negative and putting them out, you know, negative in the sense of your net worth.

[00:10:53] So your assets minus your liabilities is your net worth.

[00:10:57] So there's we should all track that on.

[00:11:00] I like to do it on a quarterly basis to see are is that building?

[00:11:05] Are your assets growing?

[00:11:07] Are your liabilities, your debts, are they decreasing, which increases your net worth?

[00:11:14] So they both go hand in hand.

[00:11:16] I think the anti-budget is the tool every month to use.

[00:11:20] But then that there should be money feeding your asset and or paying off your debt on the net worth statement.

[00:11:29] And I'm even thinking, let me know if this is really a possibility.

[00:11:33] Can you make one of those kind of categories of your joy expenses be future vacations, let's say?

[00:11:39] Does that even work?

[00:11:40] Absolutely.

[00:11:41] Yes.

[00:11:42] Yes.

[00:11:43] How can that help?

[00:11:45] Well, I think it's like who wants to come home from a big vacation and have a big credit card bill, right?

[00:11:51] That's how you get behind very rapidly.

[00:11:53] And so and to me, travel is a big thing.

[00:11:56] I've always loved to travel.

[00:11:57] And it's like, OK, I know I have to put money aside for that each month.

[00:12:01] And that's a joy.

[00:12:03] Like, I love to do that and plan vacations.

[00:12:06] And so that that money is going to be allocated to something you love.

[00:12:11] And then the money is there that, you know, that can pay for the vacations, pay for for the travel.

[00:12:18] So your future self should definitely be in the joy bucket.

[00:12:23] You know, I think sometimes we disconnect from who we're going to be in the future, thinking the future self will just take care of it.

[00:12:30] But, you know, I think that's like the biggest advice.

[00:12:35] If you start younger, you know, I started $25 a month when I was 18, putting money aside.

[00:12:43] And I've I've always invested monthly.

[00:12:47] And that's like the best habit that you can get into as a young adult.

[00:12:51] Yeah.

[00:12:52] So if one of those categories in your anti-budget can be future spending or retirement or things like that, that money will go a long way.

[00:13:00] Especially if, like you said, you started at 18.

[00:13:02] That money has a long time to grow because people are living longer and longer.

[00:13:06] I heard, I can't remember what it was.

[00:13:08] I think it was on some other podcast where someone was like 15 or 16 calling in with a voicemail of where to invest.

[00:13:14] And I'm like, I don't think that person realizes how wealthy they'll be that they're starting at 15 or 16.

[00:13:19] Like, yeah, it's unbelievable.

[00:13:21] And there's a number out there, I can't remember it off the top of my head, of how much money you need to invest for your child at age zero when they're born for it to reach a million dollars by 65.

[00:13:32] And it's like less than a thousand dollars or something like that.

[00:13:34] It's like just a tiny amount.

[00:13:36] You just set it there and they're a millionaire by the time they retire.

[00:13:38] So lots of power there.

[00:13:41] Totally.

[00:13:42] Yeah.

[00:13:42] Awesome.

[00:13:43] Let's talk a little bit about worth people feel and maybe some financial mindsets and emotions people feel around money a little bit.

[00:13:50] You mentioned tracking your net worth and I agree that can be super helpful towards getting you back on the right track.

[00:13:56] It allows you to mentally see where you're at.

[00:13:59] But often people can place their worth and maybe the things they're buying, their expenses they're spending on, their things they're consuming.

[00:14:07] Does that impact on worth or maybe numbers and stuff like that?

[00:14:11] Could it have a negative impact on people?

[00:14:12] Do we need to be careful in that realm?

[00:14:15] Well, I think it's the, you know, in our fast paced society and the emphasis on doing everything and not to mention all the material assets that we place value on.

[00:14:28] You know, I think it's easy to get into this keeping up with the Joneses, keeping up with the neighbors, seeing something and being really reactive in the sense that you're just spending money without paying attention.

[00:14:41] And then all of a sudden you have $30,000 of credit card debt and you just have kind of sabotaged that early adulthood financial progress that you can make.

[00:14:55] And so, and then what usually happens is then they start doubting themselves.

[00:15:02] They start, you know, talking negative to themselves.

[00:15:06] Like they have the guilt that turns into shame and then not trusting themselves to make a better decision in the future.

[00:15:13] So there is a ton of negative money talk that happens in a lot of people.

[00:15:21] Like I just see it every day.

[00:15:23] I see it.

[00:15:23] And so the whole, the whole premise of my book is about examining those beliefs.

[00:15:31] Like 95% of our thoughts every day are subconscious.

[00:15:35] So sometimes we don't even know how we're thinking about money.

[00:15:39] Like, oh, I'll never be good with money.

[00:15:42] Or I don't know what investment to make.

[00:15:44] Or, oh, that's just too hard.

[00:15:46] Or I'm just going to ignore my money and it'll be okay.

[00:15:50] Or money is the root of all evil.

[00:15:52] Or, you know, rich people are bad.

[00:15:54] Like there's so many thoughts.

[00:15:56] I call them wealth busters.

[00:15:59] That we really just need to, they will prevent you from building wealth.

[00:16:03] And they also wreak havoc on your own sense of self-worth.

[00:16:10] So I think it's so critical that we first have awareness.

[00:16:14] We're able to see that self-talk.

[00:16:17] And then we have the keys to transform that, right?

[00:16:22] And I think there needs to be a lot of like grace and forgiveness for ourselves.

[00:16:27] Like I've made many mistakes.

[00:16:29] I, you know, and that really early on in my 20s, I was, you know, making pretty good money.

[00:16:35] But I would spend a lot of it, you know, shopping or travel.

[00:16:40] Or, you know, I knew better at the time.

[00:16:43] Like I should have been putting more money aside.

[00:16:45] But it's, you know, it is what it is.

[00:16:47] Like that's how we learn.

[00:16:48] That's how we get better.

[00:16:51] And so I think we just need to kind of, when we figure it out, like when we see it,

[00:16:58] be able to like really move forward in a different way.

[00:17:02] And replace those wealth busters with positive wealth beliefs.

[00:17:07] Like I can't do this.

[00:17:09] I am smart enough.

[00:17:10] I am worthy.

[00:17:12] We are all innately worthy.

[00:17:14] We deserve to live a rich life.

[00:17:18] Yeah, that's all fantastic.

[00:17:19] And I love it when this happens.

[00:17:21] When I guess lead right into the next question I'm going to ask.

[00:17:24] And that's how people can take some steps to improve their mindset.

[00:17:27] You mentioned a couple things so far.

[00:17:29] Be willing to forgive ourselves.

[00:17:31] Understand that like what's happened has happened.

[00:17:33] And begin to be a little bit more forgiving.

[00:17:35] What are some ways either, like we've mentioned tracking as some practical like steps you can apply.

[00:17:41] But what are some things people can do to improve their mindset?

[00:17:44] Yeah, I mean, I think it's having a lot of times if you're having someone else that you're accountable to.

[00:17:51] So this could be, you know, between partners if you're married or or between friend, a friend group.

[00:17:57] I know we are a financial coach to clients that just don't want to, that want to pay for that support and advice and accountability.

[00:18:08] And so there's a lot of different options to get help.

[00:18:12] But I think, you know, so many of us are verbally verbal processors.

[00:18:17] So we need to be able to talk about past experiences.

[00:18:22] And I think if we can get to the lesson in it, if we can get to, oh, that happened.

[00:18:29] And I'm actually grateful that happened because I learned this super valuable lesson.

[00:18:34] So if we're able to, like, communicate that and verbally process it, we're less likely to make those same mistakes again.

[00:18:44] And so I think it's important that we have a community that we can go to, that we can talk.

[00:18:49] That's not going to judge us.

[00:18:51] That's not going to, you know, tell us that we did shame us.

[00:18:56] It's more of like, ah, yeah, that was that was a bummer.

[00:18:59] But, hey, move on.

[00:19:00] Like, we got to do something better.

[00:19:02] But oftentimes financial advisors, you know, they'll tell you investment strategy, but they may not be that behavioral financial coach, which I think a lot of people need.

[00:19:13] And so, you know, that was something that we identified that we want to help our clients with and really get into helping them, you know, move forward and hold that accountability for them.

[00:19:26] Yeah, there's a huge opportunity in that coaching space, like you mentioned.

[00:19:29] And people might, they might be in that area and be like, how in the world could I pay for someone to help me when I don't have any money?

[00:19:35] But the kind of return you can get from, you mentioned having an accountability person with you.

[00:19:41] I've been, since I've learned about this term trumpeting it, called money buddies.

[00:19:45] I think it's a good term to use.

[00:19:47] Yeah.

[00:19:48] So I've been calling them money buddies.

[00:19:49] Have your money buddy that you can have healthy money talks with, that you can have those conversations, that little bit of a community around you, I think can go a really long way towards getting you to that investment strategy where then advisors and stuff can step in and help.

[00:20:05] Absolutely.

[00:20:05] Yeah.

[00:20:06] I like that.

[00:20:07] Yeah.

[00:20:08] And that's what I keep mentioning.

[00:20:09] Every time accountability partners come up, I'm like, let's call them money buddies.

[00:20:12] I think that's a fun way to term it.

[00:20:14] But let's say someone does take the anti-budget, they take your advice from this episode and start making good progress.

[00:20:21] Maybe six months down the road, they hit a roadblock.

[00:20:24] I kind of want to leave some long-term advice in this episode that people can turn back to.

[00:20:28] How can people navigate financial setbacks or maybe unexpected expenses that come up in several months when they weren't ready for them?

[00:20:36] How can they help stay on track?

[00:20:39] Yeah.

[00:20:40] I mean, we all are going to have setbacks.

[00:20:41] And I think it's really important to just kind of expect them.

[00:20:46] You know, I mean, things are going to go off track.

[00:20:49] You know, there's going to be an expense that really blows up your spending plan for that month.

[00:20:54] And, you know, I think, number one, it's important not to beat ourselves up from it, for sure.

[00:20:59] And then also take the learning from it.

[00:21:04] So, you know, what did I learn in this?

[00:21:06] There's always something to gain.

[00:21:08] And so if you can take those negative experiences and transform them into a positive for the future, then your past will not hold you captive.

[00:21:20] So I think it's as much as you can get right back on track with your spending and not, you know, money is a lot like food, right?

[00:21:31] Like, so if we try to restrict and go on this extreme diet, you're going to binge.

[00:21:36] Like, you're going to fall off the diet.

[00:21:37] And so same thing with our money.

[00:21:39] I think it's important that you give yourself grace, that there's things that you enjoy with your spending.

[00:21:46] And, you know, if something doesn't go according to plan, then you just kind of course correct.

[00:21:51] And you just have to, you know, get right back into that place of, like, it's going to be okay, abundance.

[00:22:01] And, you know, I use the word with love, with money, because I think love is, you know, it's what we all want.

[00:22:09] It's what we all want to give when we're evolved.

[00:22:11] And I think when we can approach things with more love, things just kind of have a way of working themselves out.

[00:22:19] Yeah. Once you get in that place where you're having healthy conversations, you're making those course corrections,

[00:22:24] then you're like, wow, more opportunities are opening up than you could ever expect.

[00:22:29] And yeah, just be willing to know that those setbacks are always going to happen.

[00:22:32] There's always going to be that flat tire or something's going to get broken.

[00:22:37] Your microwave will go out.

[00:22:38] Things like that happens all the time.

[00:22:39] That's why one emergency funds are important.

[00:22:42] But also when you're in a healthy space with your money, you can make those adjustments.

[00:22:46] And when you have a community around you, you can kind of ask, how did anyone else get through a similar situation?

[00:22:51] And we can almost learn from our mistakes quicker by learning from others' mistakes.

[00:22:56] And it helps us all get on the path a whole lot quicker.

[00:22:59] Fantastic.

[00:23:00] Use that money buddy.

[00:23:01] Yes.

[00:23:01] Find your money buddy.

[00:23:03] Put them in your phone as money buddy.

[00:23:04] So you can just tell Siri or whoever, call my money buddy and then have those conversations.

[00:23:09] But as we're coming to the end here, let's learn a little bit more about you.

[00:23:13] How can people find you online or learn more about your book?

[00:23:17] Yeah.

[00:23:18] So my book is called Money Loves You and it's available on Amazon.

[00:23:22] You can learn more about me on my personal website, juliamcarlson.com.

[00:23:30] And then if you want to learn more about financial coaching and our offer there, it's liveinspiredwealth.com.

[00:23:38] Awesome.

[00:23:39] Fantastic.

[00:23:39] And my final question that I ask everybody that honestly, I get a lot of similar answers,

[00:23:44] but they always have like a little bit of a different origin story that made people think about this one.

[00:23:49] But what is one thing you wish you would have known sooner when it comes to money?

[00:23:56] Ooh, yeah.

[00:23:57] I think that I think this mindset of, of our inner wealth, you know, how we feel about ourselves,

[00:24:07] our sense of self-worth is so it has to be the focus as opposed to the outer wealth.

[00:24:17] Because I think if you have this really good sense of worthiness, that will generate the external wealth.

[00:24:25] So I had to learn the hard way.

[00:24:28] I had to, you know, get burnt out and, you know, just spent a lot of time worrying about other people and other things as opposed to just listening and trusting myself.

[00:24:42] Yeah.

[00:24:43] Yeah.

[00:24:43] A whole lot of things come from that advice you just shared.

[00:24:45] Confidence, like asking for more money when you're due with a raise, like all sorts of things that lead to opportunities.

[00:24:51] And Julia, that's a fantastic place to leave it on.

[00:24:54] Be confident with your inner wealth.

[00:24:56] I love it.

[00:24:57] Julia, thank you so much for coming on Money Talk with Skylar Fleming.

[00:25:00] And yeah, it's been fantastic.

[00:25:02] Thanks for having me.

[00:25:13] Thank you so much to Julia for coming on today's episode and for that great interview.

[00:25:17] Let's kick it off today with the money talking points.

[00:25:20] The first money talking point is what expenses have you made recently that annoy you?

[00:25:25] Well, I think this is a great way to look at tracking your expenses.

[00:25:28] And also remember that you need to be tracking your expenses.

[00:25:31] Honestly, it's the first thing you have to do because you can't know what expenses are annoying you if you don't track them.

[00:25:37] If you look at those last few $5 to $10 to $15, $20 purchases and you're annoyed by them,

[00:25:43] there's your target for how to save money.

[00:25:45] There's what you need to go after, not some specific category that you aren't sure how to budget for.

[00:25:49] Understand that that annoyance is leading you to what you know you need to change.

[00:25:55] Don't be hard on yourself for the emotions, but recognize that the emotion is real

[00:26:00] and that your expenses can cause real emotions within you that can lead to good change.

[00:26:04] So that would be, I guess, the main starting point from today's episode.

[00:26:08] Look back over your last month of transactions.

[00:26:10] Forget it, not even last month.

[00:26:12] Look at the last week.

[00:26:13] Look at the last week of your transactions and take a pen and paper next to you and write this down.

[00:26:20] Which transactions annoy me?

[00:26:22] And then as you're looking over that week of your last transactions,

[00:26:25] just write down where you spent the money and how much you spent.

[00:26:29] And then just sit there and think about it.

[00:26:31] Once you realize what is annoying you and how you're spending money,

[00:26:34] that's going to give you the perfect place to start targeting where you can save some money.

[00:26:38] So let's take, for example, you spent a ton of money on coffee or soda.

[00:26:43] And those purchases are annoying me because you're like, wow, there's the $30 for the thing that I thought I needed.

[00:26:49] Or there's the $30 of gas that could have got me through the week just because you spent money in a different area.

[00:26:55] And now it's annoying you.

[00:26:57] Think about it.

[00:26:57] Don't be hard on yourself, but just continue to think about it and be like, how can I adjust my spending to even just save that $30?

[00:27:04] Then once you save that $30, you're going to be doing a whole lot better and a whole lot more motivated to go for the $300 savings and things like that.

[00:27:11] This happens all the time to my wife and I.

[00:27:14] We notice a few things that need changing here and there by getting annoyed at our expenses.

[00:27:18] And now we're not looking at the spreadsheets we've built out and being like, wow, I'm annoyed.

[00:27:21] But you can just kind of feel it.

[00:27:23] And I know you know this feeling.

[00:27:25] Whoever you are listening, I know you know that moment where you're like, wow, that expense just doesn't seem to sit right.

[00:27:30] Why did I spend that money?

[00:27:31] Target that spending and save the money there.

[00:27:34] And that's a great place to get started.

[00:27:36] The second money talking point is how can financial discipline help you find freedom?

[00:27:40] Well, this was stated very clearly in the interview, but freedom is found in discipline.

[00:27:44] It's found in following a plan that you're intentionally setting and intentionally spending according to that plan.

[00:27:50] And that sense of freedom that you crave with your money comes from control over your money.

[00:27:54] Instead of feeling like you can just blow it all freely, it comes from knowing that you can spend money.

[00:27:59] Being in control is what gives you that sense of freedom.

[00:28:01] It's the freedom that my wife and I enjoy from following a written plan.

[00:28:05] It allows us to spend on that thing that we want because we know we can because we have our savings dialed in.

[00:28:10] It allows us to spend in such a way that we can go out and spend on the things that bring us joy.

[00:28:14] Like our recent trip to Hawaii.

[00:28:16] We did not care what we did, how much money it cost us and things like that.

[00:28:20] And that's because we knew we had our savings dialed in for years ahead of time.

[00:28:24] And that control is what allowed that freedom.

[00:28:27] So you can call it sacrifice for freedom, call it control, whatever you want.

[00:28:31] But plan on writing down your plan.

[00:28:32] That's going to be the best way to get control of your money because you know you're going to have your savings dialed in.

[00:28:38] And then once you know that the rest is working in the background and that it's set up on autopilot,

[00:28:42] we can continue to do the things that we want now so that we know we'll be able to retire early in the future.

[00:28:46] So set up your plan now and let it go.

[00:28:49] Let it work in the background and enjoy your life because the freedom comes from the control over your finances.

[00:28:55] But I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

[00:28:58] Let's wrap it all up next.

[00:29:09] Once again, thank you to Julia Carlson for coming on today's episode.

[00:29:12] Be sure to check out her book.

[00:29:13] And of course, her website is in the show notes.

[00:29:16] But if you really do hate the idea of budgeting,

[00:29:19] then work on the anti-budget that Julia and I talked about in today's interview.

[00:29:22] Go out there and Google or Bing the anti-budget.

[00:29:25] And dive down that rabbit hole.

[00:29:27] It's going to be a good tool for you.

[00:29:28] Don't make yourself feel constrained by watching every single category if you truly hate that.

[00:29:33] Start with your income, savings, and then allow yourself to spend the rest.

[00:29:36] Remember, the freedom that you want comes in the control that you need to have over your money.

[00:29:41] And I'm always happy to help you with finding that control.

[00:29:44] But remember, a money buddy is going to be key.

[00:29:46] Find your money buddy and talk about today's episode.

[00:29:49] Hit share and then make sure to leave a five-star review on your way out of your podcast player

[00:29:53] because each review helps the podcast grow.

[00:29:56] And if you need someone to talk to about money, feel free to reach out.

[00:29:59] My email is in the show notes.

[00:30:00] I'd be happy to be your money buddy and talk through any financial challenges you may be facing.

[00:30:05] But thank you for listening to Money Talk with Skylar Fleming.

[00:30:07] I'm your host, Skylar Fleming.

[00:30:09] Have a great week.

[00:30:09] Thank you for listening to Money Talk with Skylar Fleming.

[00:30:12] This show is provided for informational and entertainment purposes

[00:30:16] and may not be specific to your unique situation.

[00:30:19] Please be sure to do additional research before making any financial decisions.