There’s more than one way to budget, but people often share some qualities that make them fit neatly into one of these eight boxes of budgeters.
1. The Good-Intentioned One
A good-intentioned budgeter wants to budget in their heart of hearts. But sadly, they can’t bring themselves to open the app until their guilt reaches a fever pitch. Because of that, they’re budgeting all over the place and struggle to meet their financial goals.
2. The Militant One
This person is the exact opposite—they enter every expense the moment it leaves their checking account. They’re constantly thinking about how they can shave money off their expenses and reallocate it into their savings. This seems good on paper, but these budgeters can go overboard with their approach and remain inflexible when they need it most.
3. The Flexible One
This person updates their budgets regularly, acknowledging that their ever-changing circumstances need to be considered in creating a reasonable budget. That said, flexible budgeters can also go a little too far and constantly move the needle further away from their financial goals and closer to that sweater they saw on Instagram.
4. The Organized Yet Chaotic One
This person keeps everything they need to budget, but they have no clue where to find it. Yes, they budget frequently and accurately, which is a good thing. However, their inability to keep things organized makes budgeting much more stressful than it needs to be. Sure, they have a “system,” but the system seems incredibly broken to an outsider.
5. The One Who Won’t Have Fun
This budgeter isn’t having a great time because they think their budget shouldn’t account for it. These individuals are likely more laser-focused on paying off debt or achieving a major financial goal. Still, it’s vital that every budgeter leaves some room in their finances for fun, even if it’s only a tiny amount.
6. The App User
This person is constantly downloading new apps to help them with their budgeting. Are they using them? Not always. But hey, it’s nice to know they’re there, right? Even if it means all their financial information isn’t being updated frequently, they at least have the desire to find a financial planning app that works for them. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that you’re never getting anywhere unless you open the app.
7. The Spreadsheet Lover
This person is the exact opposite of the app user. Despite their frustration with using spreadsheets for their budget, they can’t bring themselves to update and use a more streamlined app. They’re stuck in their ways, and while they work just fine, they’re not educating themselves on resources that could make their financial planning easier.
8. The Measured One
Finally, the measured one should be the prototype—this budgeter updates their budget frequently but isn’t too hard on themselves when they miss a day or expense here and there. They make room for fun, keep themselves organized, and stay flexible with their expenses if they need to. These are the budgeters who find ways to make and save more money when they need to; be like them!
