My First Time Budgeting – What Shocked Me

 by Henrik Bacilieri

If I’m being honest, I used to think budgeting was boring.

It sounded like something only obsessive penny-pinchers or accountants would do. I used to believe that as long as I wasn’t broke, I was “managing my money just fine.”

I was wrong.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with a notebook and decided to actually track where my money was going. Not in my head. Not just guessing. I wrote down every dollar that came in… and every dollar that went out.

Here’s what I found: I had no idea what I was doing.

I thought I was doing “okay” with money. But the reality was:

  • I was spending emotionally – buying little things to feel better after a rough day.

  • I was paying for stuff I didn’t use – subscriptions, fast food, random online purchases.

  • I wasn’t saving anything – zero percent of what I earned had a future purpose.

It was uncomfortable to see the numbers on paper. I had always avoided that kind of honesty. It was easier to just keep moving and pretend things would “figure themselves out.”

But seeing the full picture gave me clarity I’d never had before.

So I started small. I created three categories:

  1. Needs – rent, food, transport.

  2. Wants – entertainment, eating out, extras.

  3. Future – savings and investment (even if it was just $5).

That shift alone changed how I thought about every dollar.
Now, before I buy something, I ask: Is this moving me forward? Or is it just filling a temporary feeling?

And here’s something crazy: I feel more free now than I did when I was just spending blindly.

I’m in control.
I’m telling my money where to go.
I’m building a habit that’s going to serve me for years to come.

It’s not perfect. I still slip up. But I’ve started. And that’s something I avoided for far too long.

Budgeting isn’t restrictive. It’s liberating—once you understand what it’s doing for you.

Henrik Bacilieri

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