In this article:
Have your budgeting efforts ever ended with you fizzling out, exhausted? Budget burnout is when you become fatigued or stressed out by your budget. It could be a sign that it's time to rework or reset your budget.
Unfortunately, feeling burnt out by your budget can cause you to throw up your hands and give up. That can lead to overspending, more stress and accumulating debt. Instead, learn about what budget burnout is and how you can avoid it.
What Causes Budget Burnout?
Budget burnout stems from feeling fatigued by your budget plan. That can happen for a few core reasons:
- Being extremely frugal: While living frugally isn't a bad plan for buffering your savings and building financial stability—and, for some people, a minimalist approach to spending is sustainable and even enjoyable—living extremely frugally can put a lot of pressure on you. That can cause a budget spinout.
- Living bare bones: Much to the previous point, going bare bones with your budget has a time and place. But if you're too restrictive with your budget all the time, you'll likely find your energy quickly drained, which, in an unfortunate twist, can push you to spend more.
- Cash flow problems: If your expenses tally up to as much as your income—or, worse, more―you're in a sticky situation that can inevitably lead you to burn out and take on debt. It's a difficult situation to be in, and it requires finding ways to reduce your expenses or increase your income.
How to Avoid Budget Burnout
If the cure for burnout is some intentional self-care, the cure for budget burnout is giving your budget a little TLC. Here are some tips for avoiding budget burnout.
1. Build Splurging Into Your Budget
If you're not in the situation of having too little money to cover your cost of living, but you're still feeling suffocated by a tight budget, it could be that you're just being too strict with yourself. Saving for the future is wise, but not at the complete expense of your enjoyment now.
See if you can build in a weekly or biweekly splurge for yourself—without busting your budget or giving up too much in savings.
2. Try a New Budget System
Your budget burnout could be a result of simply feeling tired of your budget plan. Perhaps you're using a pretty time-intensive budgeting system, such as zero-based budgeting, and it overwhelms you to spend that much time inputting your spending. Or maybe you're using a simpler budget plan, such as a 50/30/20 budget, but it just isn't clicking anymore, and you find yourself neglecting to stick with it at all.
Whatever the case, consider experimenting with a new budgeting plan or trying out a new budgeting app that accounts for your expenses without you having to enter every purchase. Shaking things up may inspire you to stick with your budget again.
3. Talk to a Loved One
If you budget with another member of your household, try talking to them about how you're feeling. Work together to find new ways to support each other in your efforts to keep your spending on track. If you budget alone, find someone to talk through your stress with.
Simply naming your budget burnout may alleviate some of your pressure. Ultimately, the situation may be lighter than it feels. If not, your loved one may be able to help you figure things out.
How to Recover After Budget Burnout
If budget burnout has caused you to blow your budget, getting back on track can take a bit of initial planning. But it's well within your reach. Here are some ideas for how to move forward:
- Assess your current situation. Before you get back on track, ask yourself what sort of damage you need to handle. Did you dip into your savings? If so, you'll want to make a plan to replenish the funds. Did you take on credit card debt? If so, make a plan to pay it off ASAP. If you're not sure how you'll pay your bills, learn about your options.
- Cut back temporarily. See if you can slash something just for a few months to get back on track. For instance, you might be able to cut a few streaming services, or stay in and cook rather than go out to eat a few times this month.
- Replenish your savings. Make a plan to build a buffer into your budget by adding money to your general savings account. Ideally, build up some spare funds that you can draw on when you need a little bit more spending money. Separately, make sure your emergency fund that you leave alone except in a crisis is in good shape.
Build Up Stability
Budget burnout can stem from a tense relationship with money, but it can also stem from cash flow problems. Track your expenses, starting with the non-negotiables—housing, transportation, bills and the like. Check if you can adequately afford your costs and still have money left for spending and saving.
It's hard to save for the future when money's tight, and it can even be hard to survive in the moment. If you're stuck living paycheck-to-paycheck, consider ways to increase your income, such as with a side hustle, or decrease your cost of living, such as by downsizing your home or moving into a cheaper rental. Once your finances seem more manageable, you may find renewed energy to stick with your budget, and burnout will become a thing of the past.