Best of 2025 Stop Budgeting, Start Choosing: Why traditional budgets fail and what to do instead

Does the word “budget” still make your shoulders tense? Same. And that reaction isn’t a personal failing—it’s a sign that most budgeting advice was never built for real life. In this rereleased episode, we throw out the guilt, the restriction, and the rules that don’t stick, and replace them with a spending plan that actually works with how you live, earn, and decide.

This conversation breaks down why traditional budgets tend to fall apart (hint: it’s not because you lack discipline) and how to build a values-based spending plan that supports growth, security, and joy—at the same time.

You’ll learn how to identify what truly matters to you financially and how to align your spending with those priorities instead of fighting yourself every month.

We walk through the Three-Bucket Spending Plan as a simpler, more human way to manage money without sacrificing the things you love or want to work toward.

Shari also shares her own experience of breaking out of a scarcity mindset and why emotional spending has far more to do with unexamined beliefs and financial baggage than willpower.

This episode reframes budgeting from something you “have to do” into a tool that helps you make intentional choices—so you can stop defaulting to “I can’t afford that” and start saying, “I’m choosing this.”

If you’re tired of feeling guilty every time you spend, stuck in a cycle of overthinking your money, or ready to build wealth without burning out your nervous system, this episode is for you. Press play, rethink what a budget can be, and start creating a spending plan that finally feels supportive instead of suffocating.

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