That 50/30/20 rule felt impossible until I ran the numbers on my own spending from last October

Found out from a Mint review that my eating out alone was costing me $340 a month in 2023, which is way more than I ever guessed even with the 30% wants category to work with. Has anyone else felt like the percentages don't match real life until you actually see the totals?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.jessica2h ago

My friend Sarah had almost the same shock with her Starbucks habit. She was buying lattes and breakfast sandwiches every morning and it added up to $280 a month before she even realized it. Took her a full year to actually get her budget to match reality.

taylorcarr1h ago

I cut my daily coffee shop habit by $185 a month when I switched to making cold brew at home. I bought a 32-ounce mason jar and a simple filter, took maybe 10 minutes once a week to set it up. That first paycheck when I saw the extra cash in my account was pretty eye-opening, made me wonder how many other little habits were eating my money without me noticing.