Budgets are like fingerprints; no two are the same.

We all want a template, a roadmap, an example, something to guide us when we are headed down a road that is completely new to us. The same applies to creating a budget. We seek out examples from others, asking them what they do, how they spend their money, in hopes of replicating their same results.

But we aren’t all the same. We have different dreams and goals and visions for our lives. We value different things. Which is why, if you have been trying to follow someone else’s plan for their money, you probably feel like something is missing, even if you’re staying on budget, paying off debt, and putting money into savings and investments every month.

When you put together your next budget, start with you. Look inward. What are the feelings, experiences, and relationships that you value most? Are you putting enough money towards these things. What is the vision you have for your life? Does your spending align with that vision or is it in opposition?

If you value reading new fiction as soon as it releases, but eating at a nice restaurant doesn’t feel worth your time and money, give yourself permission to support authors, purchase books from an independent bookseller, and make more dinners at home! You can pass on those gently used books to your library system, an assisted living facility, or gift them to a fellow avid reader when you’re done.

It’s your money. It’s your budget. It’s your life. It should reflect what you value and be just as unique as you are.