After years of living in Los Angeles—land of opportunity and sticker shock—my budgeting strategy of hiding from my bank account wasn’t working. I over-prioritized my love for shopping and travel, and under-prioritized my long term financial goals. It was a decade of oops-a-daisy impulse buys .

Who needs a savings account when there are so many destinations waiting to be visited?

I knew I had debts to pay and expenses that wouldn’t go away, and I knew they were obstacles getting in the way of the life I wanted to live. I had a maddening level of subconscious financial stress, fueling anxiety about not having more to show for the solid salary I made. My spending habits were the problem—I just didn’t know how to overcome them and start funding the future I envisioned for myself.

I was wasting time wasting money.

Whatever your aha moment is, and there will be a moment (maybe it led you here!), use that spark of motivation to find a budget strategy that works for you.…