10/29/2026
Not every money habit needs to be met with a new rule.
Sometimes it just needs to be noticed.
I've been thinking about one of my own patterns lately: when I have a problem that requires time and effort to solve, I'm sometimes tempted to buy something that might help instead.
I'm not particularly proud of it, but I'm also trying not to judge myself for it.
Because judgment isn't necessarily useful.
Awareness is.
Once I recognize that this is something I tend to do, I have a better chance of catching myself the next time it happens.
The same can be true of all kinds of money patterns.
Maybe you spend more when you're stressed. Maybe convenience wins when you're busy. Maybe you keep paying for things you rarely use because cancelling them has been sitting on your to-do list for six months.
Before creating another rule for yourself about what you should or shouldn't do with your money, try simply noticing what you actually do.
You might learn something useful.