It’s easy to spend mindlessly on crap you don’t need, but sometimes we spend money on stuff we don’t even really want. To avoid this, conduct a spending audit to make sure you’re spending on the stuff that actually matters to you.


It helps to prioritize your discretionary spending on the things you get the most enjoyment out of. In other words: spend money on the things you love, not just like. The problem is, most of us don’t give our spending habits much thought, so we don’t even realize we’re spending money on stuff we don’t particularly care about.

This is why it helps to take a look at your budget and track your expenses. But I liked personal finance writer Melanie Lockert’s tip on taking this action a step further:

“After tracking your spending for a whole month, look at all your purchases. Next to each purchase make a mark: place a star if the purchase was spent on something related to your values, and made you feel good. If the purchase made you feel bad or guilty, highlight it in red. For this exercise, if you track your spending digitally, print out a physical copy of what you spent that month.”


It’s a simple exercise that encourages you to spend a little more consciously. It also helps you weed out the spending that doesn’t exactly bring you joy. That way, you can prioritize your discretionary spending accordingly. For more detail, head to the link below.

Spending on Your Values: Avoiding the Guilt Trap | VOSA via Rockstar Finance