What You Say vs What You Spend

I found a fascinating piece on “money dials” via Modern Mrs. Darcy. The idea is that you can see what is important to someone based on how they spend their money.

Money Dials are an easy way to diagnose what you claim is important vs. what is actually important. In a nutshell, your money dials are the things that you are willing to spend extravagantly on by cutting back mercilessly on the things you don’t care about.

And to figure it out, he asks a question: “If you had $25,000 to spend on any of the above, which would you put your money into? Your answer—the one you instinctively came to within seconds—is likely your #1 Money Dial.”

Beyond necessities such as the mortgage, heat, and food, the vast majority of our spending goes toward the kids, especially their education. And when I say “education,” I don’t just mean college, though that is clearly our largest expense right now. I mean making sure they can pursue their interests or taking them places so they can have experiences.

After that, it’s books. As much as I use the library, I also buy myself books. Often. And books could probably be lumped under entertainment, including streaming services and our membership to the symphony.

So the kids and… let’s be fancy and call it “consuming art.” That’s what my spending shows to be my priorities.

What do you spend money on?