I like everyone’s answers here.

1a. Definitely take at least some consideration of what your mental health looks like over those periods. It could be a symptom. (Not that you won’t sadly still need coping strategies regardless. Mental health issues just suck.)

1b. Do you have a career where there are seasonal variations in workload? Are coworkers or family or friends potentially influencing your spending behavior?

2. You’ve already heard of YNAB. (And it’s like only 10% a cult? 😂) I think it could be a useful tool for you. Since you seem to hate the minutia keep your categories dirt simple. Debt payments, short term fun, fixed expenses. Break them down only so far as they are useful for YOU. YNAB will get pretty good at guessing categories for you these days.

3. Consider what you are working towards when you are in a working hard phase. What makes those savings worthwhile? Afterall - money is only a means to an end. I find it easier to save and consider giving up buying that $800 pair of new powder skis I really don’t need if I know it’s to go on an epic honeymoon in a year. Personally and maybe not as easily applicable, I’ve had an issue of saving too much… so I also gave myself the list of goals I was saving for and what timeline I wanted for them and I avoid saving more than I need for those things over that time. (Retirement, wedding, down payment, honeymoon, student loans.) After that set amount… all the money is mine to do what I want with so I can spend it on what makes me happy without guilting over it.

Thank you for the write up! It looks great!

Yep! Although I’ll be over here trying to maintain other points of view.

And posting cute rabbit photos.

PS. I agree. Although generally people aren’t renting unless they are making a profit off of it. So if you have the ability to and it’s not a 100% awful time to buy, buying may save you that profit. But there a huge benefits to renting. And to owning. And huge drawbacks for both.

Generally, rents should be about equal to cost of owning… Because if one was much cheaper or much more expensive everyone would pick the other.

Another point here- if renting is cheaper and you invest the difference you’re still building your equity in a potentially far more diversified safe way.

(Although I want to buy simply because a mortgage is a more predictable cost than rent!)

Lol. Salt Lake City. 300k for a one bedroom condo - almost not quite bikeable.

A little late here - but I adore YNAB. I’ll talk about it all day but at it’s base it functions off of a digitized envelope system rather than trying to match projected inputs to projected outputs every month.

YNAB has the automatic uploads of transactions (and does try to guess a category for you but you do have to review and approve).

It is fairly expensive. Although the family plan works if you have anyone you’re open about finances with (or simply trust the family “owner” not to peek - like my younger sister decided to trust me not to look.)

Also works - similar reasons. Soap every day can hurt skin more than letting it do it’s on thing. But I absolutely adore showers - I just prefer to try and let my hair oils do their thing until appearing professional forces me to shampoo.

Back of my neck! I always have a shower cap on on non shampoo days and I usually miss my neck.