how to not be a bankbreaker

Following up on our discussion of bachelorette parties last week and how they can create financial stress, this week we’re sharing some tips and tricks to help you feel a little better about your budget. Whether you want to save up for your next girl’s trip, or you simply want to be more conscious of your spending habits, this week we’re going to talk about How to Not be a Bankbreaker (nods to Marina and the Diamonds). If you haven’t heard the song, it’s a pop 2k12 bop – we recommend giving it a listen!

Rule number one: is that you gotta have fun

A good budget is all about finding a balance between enjoying the "spontaneity of life” while still maintaining a general control over your spending habits. One of the best ways is to budget the expensive moments, rather than trying to pretend they don’t exist. This will help to avoid disappointment and anxiety that comes from not following a strict, unrealistic routine, and instead gives you the space to live.

Another example of how to do this is through romanticizing buying regular things. If you can romanticize buying things like regular grocery store items, such as your fave Trader Joe’s frozen meal, it removes the allure of more expensive, unnecessary items. You’re not compromising on your ability to have fun; you’re just doing it differently by shifting your mindset.

Rule number two: just don’t get attached to some *thing* you could lose

In general, a good money move is to decentralize material objects. Lately, “underconsumption core” has become popular, with people focusing on buying a small set of versatile items they can use in different situations. A good example of this is buying the higher-quality $90 pair of work pants instead of the $30 pair from TikTok Shop; the pricier pair will last you over 3x longer and is therefore a way better value – girl math.

Another way to remove focus from items is prioritizing purchases in experiences. I know we all have that urge to go out and buy something every once in a while, and that’s totally okay. But what if, instead of buying another shirt to stuff in your closet, you spend a Friday on a boat with your best friends? Sounds like more than a fair trade to me.

I hope you enjoyed this little play on Marina and the Diamonds’ How to be a Heartbreaker (which was my anthem when it came out in 2012). Regardless of what way you make your money work for you, l hope that these tips at least gave you a little inspiration or sparked some budgeting insights.

As always, K