This exercise helps you explore how your money habits reflect your deeper needs—and whether they truly support the life you want to live. It’s a chance to get curious, not critical.
Step 1: Look through your recent expenses—either over the past month or whatever time frame feels manageable.
Step 2: Sort each expense into one of the following four categories:
- Survival – basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare.
- Security – savings, insurance, or future planning.
- Pleasure – things that bring comfort, ease, or joy.
- Fulfillment – growth, creativity, purpose, generosity.
Step 3: For each category, ask yourself:
- Am I spending too much, too little, or just enough here?
- Does this reflect what truly nourishes me, or is it something I’ve been conditioned to chase?
You can jot down a few notes under each section if it helps clarify.
Let this be a practice of gentle awareness. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s presence and discernment. When you understand how your spending aligns with your values, living with more clarity, intention, and peace becomes easier. This is a good guide to check in with throughout our lives, and for those dedicated, it will last for the rest of your life as needed.