Welcome, Money Essence Readers! ✨

Budgeting is freedom.

Creating a budget means creating a space where you decide what truly matters.

Today, I want to share my own system - the one that finally clicked for me.

Think of this post as a heart-to-heart chat with a friend, not a lecture filled with financial jargon or complex theories.

💭 The moment it started

One day, I heard a phrase that stuck with me:

“Think with the end in mind.”

At first, I laughed - it sounded like one of those motivational quotes people put on mugs.

But over time, I noticed its quiet power. Whatever I’m doing right now is somehow connected to the goal I want to reach.

It’s a bit of an essentialist mindset, but honestly - spreading my energy over a hundred tiny things never helped.

It’s the same with budgeting. I start by asking myself a simple question:

Why am I doing all this? What do I actually want to achieve?

✍️ A few reflection questions

Here’s a small list I once wrote down to find my own why.

(Maybe one day it’ll grow into a full post - but in the spirit of “done is better than perfect,” here it is for now 😉)

1. Do I have any debts I want to pay off?
2. What percentage of my income do I want to save each month?
3. Do I know my frustration threshold - that moment when I feel deprived?
4. Am I ready to track my budget regularly?
5. …and whatever else feels relevant to you.

Don’t overthink it. This list isn’t meant to be complete - it’s just a gentle nudge to start designing your own budget.

You can’t skip this part and jump straight into tracking expenses - trust me, I tried.

All these questions lead to one thing: creating Your Freedom Budget.

So write them down, because they’ll come in handy soon ✨

🧠 My personal system

For me, budgeting is a system - but it doesn’t have to be fancy.

You don’t need an app, a template, or a paid subscription.

Just a notebook and a pen will do.

(Okay, I’ll admit - I use Excel, because I like to see everything neatly organized… but that’s totally optional.)

👉 Soon you’ll find a link below with a printable budgeting kit, perfectly aligned with this mini-series - and yes, it’ll remind you when new posts drop.

💡 Why “personal” matters

This system is deeply personal.

I’m not building it for corporations or institutions - it’s for people like me and you.

If budgeting were only about numbers, life would be simple.

But money is also about emotions, habits, and stories we tell ourselves.

You can have the most beautiful spreadsheet in the world and still feel anxious about money — because your mindset hasn’t shifted yet.

That’s why my system works best for people who aren’t overwhelmed by debt.

When you’re buried under loans, the focus naturally becomes survival - and my method just isn’t built for that (at least not 1:1).

If that’s where you are right now, start with Stage I – Tame Your Expenses, and then get professional support to create a repayment plan.

Once you have that stability, come back - you’ll be ready to build something lasting ❤️

📘 My Budgeting Course

This post is the central hub of my mini-course on personal budgeting.

To make it easier to follow (and avoid overwhelm), here’s a roadmap of all the stages.

If a link doesn’t work yet - don’t worry. It simply means that post is still being written during one of my miracle mornings ☀️

🌿 Course Roadmap

1. STAGE I - Let’s Tame the Expenses
2. Bonus - Send Money Out to Earn
3. Bonus - How I Handle Multiple Currencies in My Budget
4. STAGE II - Irregular Expenses
5. STAGE III - Yearly Expenses: Planning Ahead
6. STAGE IV - Optimization
7. STAGE V - Long-term Goals: I WANT A NEW iPHONE!
8. STAGE VI - Monthly Budget: FINALLY!
9. Bonus - Mental Accounting & Money Psychology
10. Bonus - Strategic Goals
11. Bonus - The One Thing in the budgeting
12. STAGE VII - Budget Savings: Time for Rewards! 🎉

I hope this little journey helps you take your first (or next) step toward financial independence.

It’s not a one-time project - it’s a living process, something that grows and changes with you 🌱

✨ One last thing

Before you move on - grab a pen.

Write down your why - your reason for starting this journey.

And if you’d like to follow my progress, get free printables, and be the first to know when new posts are up - don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter 💌