What is happiness? To me, happiness is being able to spend weekend just relaxing with my boyfriend and my two dogs, good food, and the annual vacations. 

There’s so many of us that say that money can’t buy happiness and for the better part of my life, I believed it. Now, I don’t know. I believe money enables us to be happy. If we plan it carefully enough. 

I was always that girl that has a ton of things on her plate. Spending money always came with the game.

Have a meeting in Jakarta, forgot dress shoes. Shit. Go to mall and buy.new.pair.of.shoes. 

Doing overtime at work. Too lazy to think afterwards. Go to a restaurant and buy.takeout.

See the pattern here? 

It was back in 2009 that I came across a website about envelope budgeting. It tells you to also make an allowance envelope. I tried it out. And it has worked wonderfully ever since. No more impulse purchases (at least not much) and no more dried out bank accounts. 

It was hard at first, but I think the key is to be honest to yourself. If, like me, you don’t want to be bothered with following up your budget envelopes with detailed purchases, then don’t do it. If you are the type that like some cash in your wallet, then budget for that. Do whatever you want. 

Some of the ground rules are these, though:

1. Calculate and budget for debt payments (Credit card debt, loans, etc)
2. Budget for your needs (Needs ONLY include savings, food, housing, transportation and basic clothing)
3. Budget for your wants (This is everything else from new shoes to cable or internet or phone installments)

After you’re done with that, then you can go on to the next step, which is good living. For me, that’s the annual trips abroad. 

Me in Melbourne 

and Germany