Prioritize Your Spending: Online Worksheet
Tip: "Save Draft" stores your entries in this browser only (local storage).
Smarter Savings Association • Financial Education for Every Stage of Life
Decide What Matters Most
Review our budgeting basics blog on prioritizing your spending here. In Steps 1 and 2, you sorted your expenses into fixed, periodic, and variable buckets, then labeled each as a want or a need. Now it's time to go deeper: which of your "wants" actually matter to you, and which ones just happen?
This worksheet helps you:
- Clarify your money values
- Rank your wants by priority
- Identify spending you could cut without missing it
Step 1 Clarify Your Values
What do you want your money to do for you? Select all that resonate, or add your own.
Step 2 Rank Your Wants
List the "wants" from your budget (things you could technically live without). For each one, decide: is it a high priority that aligns with your values, or a low priority you could cut if needed?
| Want (Expense) | Monthly $ | Priority | |
|---|---|---|---|
High Priority
0
Low Priority
0
Low Priority Total
$0
Tip: The "Low Priority Total" shows how much you're spending on wants that may not align with your top values. This is where you have the most flexibility to cut or redirect.
Step 3 Reflect & Commit
Take a minute to think about what you've learned.
