The Two-Step Budget Dance
When most people hear the word budget, they don’t think, Ah yes, financial empowerment.
They think:
- Spreadsheets with color-coded cells
- Tracking every coffee like its evidence in a court case
- And a deep sense of personal failure
No wonder most budgets last about three days. Four if you’re feeling optimistic.
But here’s the truth: the easiest way to budget isn’t about micromanaging every dollar. It’s about awareness and intention.
The simplest budgeting method has two-steps, just like that country western dance at a roadhouse bar!
First: Pay yourself. Automatically transfer funds from your income to your retirement accounts, investment accounts, an emergency fund, or to an account funding that goal you keep saying you’ll start once “things calm down” (they won’t). Set a dollar amount for each category.
Second: Spend whatever is left. Start with your non-discretionary spending. Rent/mortgage, insurance, utilities, medical, food, etc. The rest is your discretionary spending. Think about your values as you make these spending decisions.
Once your savings are funded, the remaining balance in your checking account balance becomes the bouncer at the roadhouse bar. If the money is there, you’re in and you are dancing! If it’s not, you wait. No spreadsheets. No math.
You do not need to be exact. This is a budget, not a NASA launch. If you usually spend around the same amount each month, that’s good enough. Close counts. Perfection is overrated and exhausting.
And here’s the part that breaks most budgets: Ignoring your core values.
If travel matters to you, budget for it. If eating out brings you joy, plan for it. If peace of mind is your love language, prioritize savings.
The goal of budgeting isn’t control. It’s freedom.
Freedom to say yes to what matters most — and no to stuff that doesn’t (or at least say “not this month”).
The easiest budget is the one you’ll actually stick to. Keep it simple. Automate what you can. And let your money support the life you want to live — not the life some spreadsheet thinks you should live.
Shari Greco Reiches is Regional Director and Partner at EP Wealth Advisors. In 2005, Shari co-founded Rappaport Reiches Capital Management. She is the architect of the firm's Investing In Your Values solution, which aligns clients' financial planning with their core values. She is a frequent speaker on financial planning and values, author of Maximize Your Return on Life - Invest Your Time and Money in What You Value Most and enjoys mentoring women in the wealth management profession. Please connect with Shari. She loves to talk about investing, financial planning, and Barry Manilow.