Seventh grade was a hard year for me. Shocking, I know. 🙃 But true.

There was this one group of guys I really wanted to hang out with. But every time I tried to get their attention, they just completely ignored me. Better than getting a wedgie, but still disappointing.

One day I noticed they were all wearing the same type of shoes. And my 7th-grade-brain had an epiphany: If I could just get a pair of those shoes, I'd be IN! No way they'd be able to ignore me.

And so, the begging began. And after countless hours in the driveway secretly scraping the treads off my old loser-shoes, my mom couldn't deny that I really did need a new pair.

With these new shoes, my life was about to change. I was destined for greatness. I mean, just look at me...

Obviously, my plan worked. And if you're dissatisfied with your current social circle, I highly recommend you spend money you don't have on things you don't need in order to find yourself a new one.

Sounds pretty stoopid, right?

If you're like me, you chuckle at what a goofy 7th-grade-brain can convince itself of. But the truth is, we fall for spending traps like this as adults too.

That's why it's super important to think through your budget with a values-based mindset.

What is a values-based budget?

I previously wrote an email about values-based-budgeting. I shared the idea that when you spend money, you're very rarely spending money on the item itself. Instead, you're hoping to get an underlying value from your purchase.

It could be convenience, love, entertainment, relationship building, health, or (in the case of my shoes) fitting in/impressing others.

The problem is, we all have impulsive desires (like momentarily fitting in) that might not actually align with our true values. If we don't take time to consciously consider our budget with regards to our values, our spending may be way out of line with the things that actually matter to us.

Here are a few questions to consider before making a purchase:

• What value am I actually buying here?
• Is that truly important to me, or am I being blinded by an impulsive desire?
• Will this item actually deliver the value I'm trying to get?
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Think back - when is the last time you bought something hoping it delivered X, and it ultimately came up short. What was it? What did you learn? What can you do differently next time?

I wish I could say the last time I spent out-of-line with my values was 7th grade, but I'm human too. And while I have learned a lot since then, I'm still a work in progress.

What about you?
Nick

PS: Next Monday May 1st, we'll be opening up enrollment for our Spring cohort of Ahead In 100 - our training program to help you finally get ahead with your money and gain control of your budget. Sign-up here to join the waitlist and be notified first.