How I Found $200 Hiding in My Budget (Without Giving Up Anything I Love)

By Beelinger Staff
Estimated read time: 5 min

I used to believe the only way to have more money was to earn more of it.

But one random Tuesday afternoon, I sat on my couch with a highlighter, a bank statement, and a big “ugh” energy. That day, I didn’t find new income. I found *leaks*. Quiet, sneaky leaks where $5 here and $9.99 there added up to hundreds—without adding value to my life.

Here’s how I found $200 in my own budget… without giving up Netflix or canceling brunch with my friends.

Step 1: I Looked at the Last 30 Days of Spending

Nothing fancy—just downloaded my bank and credit card statements. I went old-school and printed them out (I know, I know) and started highlighting.

I used three colors:

• 🟢 Essentials (groceries, rent, gas)
• 🟡 Joy-sparkers (things that actually made me happy)
• 🔴 “Wait, I spent money on *that*?” (aka Regret buys)

By the end of the highlight party, I had 14 red marks. That’s 14 purchases I wouldn’t miss if I never made them again.

Step 2: I Found the Repeat Offenders

These were the sneaky culprits:

• 🧃 $4.99/month for a subscription I forgot I had
• 🍔 $60/month in drive-thru runs when I “didn’t feel like cooking”
• 💅 $40 in “add-ons” at the nail salon I didn’t budget for
• 🛍️ $85 on “sale” items I never wore

Total? $200. Just… sitting there. Unused. Unnecessary. Unmissed.

Step 3: I Automated the Win

Rather than trusting myself to “just do better,” I put systems in place:

• ✅ Canceled 3 unused subscriptions with Rocket Money
• ✅ Started meal planning 2x/week using Notion’s budget template
• ✅ Moved $200/month into my savings automatically using Chime

Suddenly, my savings weren’t a mystery. They were a line item.

“Budgeting” didn’t mean restriction. It meant awareness. And awareness gave me power.

The Real Win? Permission to Spend Guilt-Free

I didn’t cut fun. I cut *friction*. And because of that, I could enjoy the things I loved without wondering, “Should I be saving this instead?”

I even added a line in my budget called “Fun Like a Grown-Up”—$50/month for whatever. A latte. A $7 face mask. A hot pink notebook. No regrets.

The money was there the whole time. It just needed me to pay attention.

And now, I do. You can too.