You Are The Expert and Your Budget Lives To Serve

If you are looking for someone to tell you what to do with your money, there are no shortage of people waving their arms, jumping up and down and barking commands.

And the internet. Full of people talking about money—overflowing with people, always talking—about your money and what you should be doing with it.

But at the end of the day, when you have a money question, you are the best source of information. Yes, you.

You Are The Expert On You

What matters most to you? What are your dreams for the future? What are the unique circumstances of your life right now? What brings you joy? What does security mean to you? What do you want your life to be?

Only you can answer these questions. Well, only you can answer them correctly.

Your Budget Is The Expert On Your Money

Your budget is there to help. Your budget is like your butler.

Your budget is deferential. It will do what you say—ultimately you are the boss—but sometimes, like a good butler, your budget might respectfully interject, and save you from yourself.

Doesn’t Alfred do that with Bruce Wayne? I think so. And your budget fills that same role for you and your finances.

Let Your Budget Do Its Job

You decided you needed a budget because you want to make better choices with your money, you have long-term goals, and you are tired of being stressed about finances. Ok, great. So, let your budget do the job you hired it to do. Ask your budget what you can and should do with your money.

You are still the boss. You will always be the boss and your budget works for you. Ultimately, the choice is yours. But sometimes it is your budget’s job to tell you the hard truth. The thing you don’t want to hear but you need to know.

At the end of the day, a butler who you employ is privy to the real you. The parts that are public to the whole world, and the parts that you’d rather not talk about. And in the best employee relationships, there is some honesty there, that is very healthy and beneficial.

Your Budget Lives To Serve

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just say, “Hey YNAB, how much is left in groceries?” And your butler, er, your budget, could reply, “Seven cents.”

The next obvious question is, “YNAB, how much is left in Eating Out?” And the answer to that question can determine whether you go to sushi or the taco truck.

You are the boss—the defacto expert on your money and where it is best spent. But let the budget do the job you employed it to do. Let the budget help you.

The budget is there to assist you in making better decisions and to provide guidelines, that when you respect, produce freedom and peace of mind and confidence.

The good news is you are your own best resource for how to spend your money. And you don’t have to do it alone! Your trusty, faithful budget will be with you every step of the way—helping you make better decisions, lightening the load, and helping you cover more ground.

Now, come, Jeeves! It’s November 1st! There are dollars to assign and budgeting to be done!