The Situation

The Wrong
Mental Model

The word 'budget' has been poisoned by association with deprivation. But a budget isn't a cage — it's a decision made in advance. The difference between planned spending and reactive spending is the difference between progress and drift.

A budget doesn't tell you what you can't have. It tells you what you've already decided matters.

— Worthune Decision Framework

• You feel guilty about spending even when you can afford it
• You avoid checking your account balance
• You've tried budgeting before but felt like you were 'failing'