Budgeting without the B.S.

What is a Budget?

A budget is a plan that outlines how much of your income should go to different parts of your finances, from monthly bills and day-to-day purchases to savings. It is a plan for how you use your money. No matter how much you earn or how often you get paid, a budget helps you stay on top of your bills, your savings and your other money goals. It can give you more control and less stress.

Budgeting does not have to suck. It is not about giving up joy—it is about choosing where your money goes.

This post breaks down a simple, no-shame framework for Gen X members who want clarity without the spreadsheets.

Let’s turn it up.

No guilt. No spreadsheets. Just clarity.

How to Make a Budget

Let’s be real—budgeting has a bad reputation. It sounds like punishment – like giving up your concert tickets, your coffee, and your sanity just to squeeze into some rigid financial box.

But here is the truth:
Budgeting is not about restriction—it is about rhythm.

It is not a spreadsheet. It is a setlist – it is how you decide what gets your energy, your time, and your money. It is important to remember that budgeting is a positive endeavor. It is something you should condition your mind to be proud of, regardless of the amount of money you are budgeting. To help with that mindset, consider

Setting specific financial goals to enhance motivation and focus.
Using a visual budget tracker to visualize progress and stay accountable.
Allocating funds for enjoyable activities to maintain a positive mindset.
Practicing gratitude by reflecting on what you can afford rather than what you lack.
Reward yourself for sticking to your budget to reinforce positive behavior.

After spending so many years thinking of budgeting so negatively, changing to a mindset of budgeting as a positive exercise may be challenging at first. I know I dreaded getting started. The hardest part IS getting started. When I got across the first hurdle of setting it up, I cannot describe the feeling of power, relief, and security I had.

If you are Gen X, chances are you were never taught how to budget. We received a paycheck and had to “figure it out.” No apps. No guidance.

Let’s change that—without the shame spiral or the spreadsheet trauma. Next, we introduce a simple, yet effective, framework to use to create a Rockstar budget.

The Rockstar Budget Framework

Forget the formulas. Forget the 27-tab Excel sheet. Here is a simple way to think about your budget:

1. Essentials

Your must-haves: housing, food, insurance, utilities. These are your rhythm section—steady, reliable, and necessary.

2. Freedom Fund

Your fun money: hobbies, travel, dining out, subscriptions. This is your lead guitar—expressive, joyful, and totally you.

3. Future You

Your savings, debt payoff, retirement contributions. This is your producer—quietly making sure the next album drops on time.

Experts/Advisors recommend assigning percentages of your income to each of these three categories. For instance: 50/30/20, in which 50% of your take-home pay goes toward necessities, 30% toward wants and 20% toward savings and retirement.

You do not need perfect percentages. Just balance, just awareness, just a vibe that feels like you.

Others choose the envelope system or zero-based budgeting. If you find that the initial budgeting system you chose is not working for you, consider trying a different strategy. The budget you choose does not have to last forever. CHOOSE ONE and start. Remember to consistently track your progress. Consider automating transfers to your savings to ensure you do not overlook it.

Why Gen X Struggles with Budgeting

We were raised on independence, hustle, and the myth that hard work alone would secure our future. But no one taught us how to:

Track spending
Prioritize goals
Balance fun with responsibility
Build a budget that actually works for real life

Instead, we learned to wing it – to check our account before buying concert tickets and hope for the best, to feel guilty every time we spent money on something fun.

Budgeting is not about guilt. It is about choice. It is about telling your money where to go—so it does not just disappear into the void.

Tools That Do Not Suck

Budgeting does not have to be boring. It can be enhanced by choosing some cool tools to use in the process. Here are a few tools Gen X likes:

Pen + Paper – Old school, but effective
Apps like YNAB or Goodbudget – Simple, intuitive, and mobile-friendly
The free printable I created for you – The Gen X Money Checkup (Lite)

DOWNLOAD HERE to get Gen X Money Checkup (lite) if you missed it.

Use whatever works. The goal is not perfection—it is progress.

Quick Wins to Build Momentum

Here are a few ideas for you to do to create positive adjustments to your budget. Do not try too much at first. Choose one to begin. See how it makes you feel when all these efforts combine to show you some real results.

Cancel one unused subscription
Automate one bill or savings transfer
Set a weekly “money minute” to check in
Track your spending for 7 days—just observe, no judgment

Budgeting is a habit, not a one-time fix. Start small. Stay consistent. Celebrate every win.

Your budget is not a cage—it is a tour manager. It keeps the chaos offstage so you can focus on the performance.

Best Way to Budget

The best way to budget is a way you will follow. Pick a plan that works for your life and goals. If the 50/30/20 budget is not realistic for you, maybe a 60/20/20 breakdown makes more sense — 60% toward necessities, 20% toward wants and 20% toward savings and retirement.

You might have to try a few different budget plans to find one that works for you. Just make sure the plans cover needs, wants and savings.

Also try out a few tools to track your money — like a notebook, a worksheet or an app — and pick the ones you will actually use.

By testing what works best for you, you are more likely to find a budget that helps you reach your financial goals.

Let’s Talk About It

Drop a me a line and tell me:

What is one expense you refuse to give up—and how do you make it work?
What budgeting myth did you believe for way too long?
What is your favorite budgeting hack?

Let’s swap stories, bust myths, and build something better—together.

Final Encore: Budgeting Is not About Sacrifice. It is About Power.

Gen X does not need another lecture. We need tools and we need clarity. We need a budget that works for our lives—not against them.

Grab your checkup. Pick your tools. And start building a budget that feels like freedom, not fear.

Because retirement is not an age—it is an era.
And Gen X? We are ready to make it slap.

Just when you thought it could not POSSIBLY get any better, we go and create a free playlist we call Money Moves for you to enjoy while doing your weekly check-in. Light a candle. Pour a drink. Make it a ritual, not a chore. We will include one song from the playlist with each post we drop for the Rock and Roll Financial Literacy Series. At the conclusion of the series, we will put the songs together for you on a mixtape. Rock on!

Until next time, remember

Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a Sharp Dressed Man

Tia

Track #2 song for this post:Money for Nothing, by Dire Straights

***Usually, I ask you to leave a comment for me after a post. Due to, probably, my technological illiteracy, I have been unable to access the comments you post. If I have not responded to one of your comments, this is why and I apologize. Until I resolve this issue, please email your comments to me at retirementrockstars66@gmail.com. I REALLY would love to hear from you. And I will respond.

Budgeting without the B.S.