#From Being Obsessed with Personal Finances to Becoming a Careless Slacker
#####Struggling to Find Purpose Without Clear Financial Goals
I was the annoying guy who kept telling everyone how important it was to have savings and financial goals. I showed my friends apps, shared my Excel template to categorize monthly expenses, and all those things that only a fan of saving and excessive control over money would tell anyone who crossed their path.
###The Impact of the Pandemic on Financial Habits
I was extremely proud of my habits and saw them as the right way to live. I wish we lived in a world where people were aware of what they do with their money. The reason for this is that it gave me a purpose; at that time, I didn’t have much money, I was a student, and for me, it was a matter of life and death what happened with my money because I didn’t have much. However, everything changed when the pandemic and quarantine hit my country.
###Struggling to Find Meaning in Tracking Expenses
I had the habit of recording my expenses using an app every time I made a purchase and creating a budget at the beginning of the month, taking into account the activities I had planned. But in a world where you live with your parents, don’t work, and your only financial goal is to save up to buy a laptop, tracking my expenses was almost useless. My expenses dropped to 25% of what they were before. I didn’t have any activities that cost money; I just studied, exercised, and used my phone to entertain myself or talk to friends.
###Finding Motivation to Track Expenses Again
Suddenly, all that I considered the right way of doing things was useless. At least, that was my thought. The lack of repetition affected me. I was aware of the importance of controlling myself and having limits, but I started doing it mentally without much effort or motivation because my situation didn’t make me spend much, so I knew I wasn’t going to exceed the established maximum since I didn’t go out much. I stopped using apps and Excel. From time to time, I forced myself, but it had no purpose; I only did it because part of me understood that it was the right thing to do, but another part of me questioned why, and I couldn’t answer.
###The Importance of Setting Clear Financial Goals
I genuinely believe that goals make saving meaningful. What good is categorizing and tracking my expenses if it doesn’t matter because I’m not going to exceed what I can spend?
###Seeking Advice and Shared Experiences
I lost my purpose, but now I have a problem: I want to save, I don’t have a clear goal, but I want to set a ceiling on how much I can spend. I am grateful because from that time until now, my income has increased, but that doesn’t mean my expenses should be my entire salary. Therefore, I want to get back to tracking my expenses, but it’s super difficult for me. I depend a lot on cash, so it’s not as simple as doing everything with an automatic transaction tracking app.
###Share Your Insights
I want to know what you would do in my position and if you have any similar experiences that could shed some light. Let’s discuss and find a way to regain control over our finances and set meaningful goals once again.
Save/invest first and spend the rest guilt free. Tracking expenses is only good to know for a month or two. After that it’s a chore.
“Save for the sake of saving.” Additionally, you could refer to some of the established advice on retirement saving as a baseline. 15% of gross income is a good minimum, but you could set a higher goal for yourself. Beyond that 15-25% of retirement savings, just think of future expenses you could match your savings to; car or home purchases, weddings, vacations, school for yourself or others, etc.
I’m going to give a different perspective- please y’all, just because it might not be your perspective, please respect my right to a viewpoint. Everything without God is pointless. That is what I’ve found. Many things can be good or used for good but without God they are meaningless. I want to encourage you and anyone reading this to investigate Jesus. He is many people’s hope and has changed their lives. An easy way to investigate Jesus is to read the gospel of John. ([www.biblica.com/bible/niv/john/1/](http://www.biblica.com/bible/niv/john/1/)). I only bring this up is because you said, “Suddenly, all that I considered the right way of doing things was useless.”
I think being smart with your money and saving for retirement is wise and good. But if you are resting in it, if that’s what your hope is in, it won’t satisfy you. I love helping people with budgets and learning from those smarter than me about finance, but money is just a tool. Jesus is the only one who can truly give you peace. I know this might have not been what you were looking for, but I hope someone read this today who needed to hear it. Thanks for listening!
This post is a bit messy but if you are asking for motivation I would think about retirement. Go lookup the “money guy wealth multiplier chart” see how valuable an invested dollar is
You seem young. Look into retirement account. IRA, self-401k, all that. If you don’t have any expenses, start building for your future self. I wish I’ve done that during college. If you only use cash, look into envelopes budget saving system. Stacking the cash definitely feels great.