Budgeting in Your 30s? These Money Mindset Shifts Might Help

Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

When it comes to budgeting, people may have mixed feelings. On the one hand, they may understand how budgeting can help stop them from overspending, which can help keep them from going into debt (or deeper into debt) and allow them to have enough money to save and invest. But on the other hand, people may think budgeting takes all the fun out of having money, plus they may not even know where to begin if they’ve never done it before.

People with these mixed feelings may want to consider shifting their money mindset when it comes to budgeting before looking into ways to actually budget. If you’re in your 30s and starting to consider having a budget, you likely didn’t have one in your 20s. And that means you’ve probably been operating with a money mindset that isn’t conducive to budgeting.

But if you would like to accomplish your financial goals, like paying off debt or building wealth, having a budget can help you get there. If any of this describes you, here are five money mindset shifts you might want to make.

5 Money Mindset Shifts for Budgeting Finances in Your 30s

1. “I live below my means.”

   This is something that can help tremendously when it comes to reaching financial goals (see #3) because it means you’re not spending everything you make or receive, allowing you to use your money for other things.
   
   This is also an essential part of the process of building wealth, and it’s one of the five wealth-building principles I describe here. If you always spend everything you make, you end up living paycheck-to-paycheck. And that means you never allow your money to accumulate or grow.
   
   Living below your means doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice every pleasure or luxury, though. Budgeting principles like the 50/30/20 rule allow you to spend money on things you want in addition to the things you need. (According to this rule, you spend 50% of your after-tax income on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings and paying back debt.)
   
   This method might not work for everyone, and you may want to adjust the percentages to suit your lifestyle better. But this principle gives you a sense of how you can enjoy some of your money now while taking care of your needs and planning for the future.
   
   Also, if you tend to feel guilty for spending money on yourself, this method can help you feel less guilty when you decide to spend on things you want because you’ve already set aside money specifically for that purpose. Living below your means allows you to budget and make progress toward your financial goals while still having fun with your money.

2. “I’m preparing for my financial future.”

   Remembering why you’re budgeting can make it easier to stick to a budget. If you just budget because you feel like you’re supposed to or because someone told you to budget, that might not be enough incentive for you to do it. But if you understand that what you’re doing is laying a foundation for your financial future, that can help you stick to your budget.
   
   You can remind yourself that, by doing this, you won’t have to stress about your finances in the future. You won’t have to worry that you won’t be able to stop working when you want to because you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck. You won’t have to worry that you won’t be able to afford the lifestyle you’ve grown accustomed to when you get older.
   
   While it can be tempting to spend everything you have as a way of enjoying your life now, preparing for your financial future can help you remind yourself that you want to have fun and enjoy your future, too. But you have to start preparing for that future now, and reminding yourself of that can help motivate you to stick to your budget.

3. “I regularly set money aside to meet my financial goals.”

   Financial goals can be things like paying off debt, buying a luxury item, going on an expensive vacation, becoming financially free, or building wealth. All of these things will require you to set aside money that you could use now, but that you’re choosing to save for later. Before you put aside this money, though, you have to decide what your financial goals are.
   
   Your goals will depend on your personality, your tastes, your preferences, your interests, your desires, and your desired lifestyle. So, you should create financial goals that work for you. If you’re trying to meet goals that fit someone else’s lifestyle, it might be harder to see the benefit of budgeting.
   
   For example, some people believe they have to wait until they’re much older to stop working, or at least stop working out of necessity. But it is possible to stop having to work, or become financially free, long before it’s traditionally done. (People may refer to this as retiring young, but I personally don’t like the concept of “retirement.”)
   
   And if you would like to become financially free before it’s traditionally done, that’s a financial goal that can encourage you to do things like budget. So, pick your financial goals first, then commit to setting aside money for them regularly to help you reach them.

4. “I wait before upgrading my lifestyle.”

   Lifestyle inflation is something that can keep people from reaching their money goals (see #3) because it can force them into the position of having to live paycheck-to-paycheck.
   
   What happens is, when people start earning more money, whether through a raise or another income source or something like that, rather than keeping their spending essentially the same, they upgrade their lifestyle as their money increases. But then they end up having to spend more on their new lifestyle, which puts them back in essentially the same financial position as they were before.
   
   Instead of upgrading your lifestyle when you have access to more money, having a budget based on percentages will ensure that you can continue to provide for your needs, while also having money leftover for your wants and for saving and investing. Eventually, you may get to a place where upgrading your lifestyle makes sense, financially speaking. And if you decide to upgrade it then, that’s fine.
   
   But this mindset shift can encourage you to wait until then to make the change. That way, it won’t be such a big financial burden on you, and you can enjoy the changes without the stress that comes with upgrading too soon. And if you would like advice on how to avoid lifestyle inflation, you can check out this post.

5. “A percentage of my income is all I need to fulfill my needs and wants.”

   Just telling yourself this is a great reminder that you don’t have to spend everything you make or receive. Imagine for a moment that you’ve just added a passive income stream to your income that now allows you to make significantly more money than you did before. You’ll definitely want to avoid lifestyle inflation (see #4) when this happens, but you might also want to consider this.
   
   While you can continue to use the same percentages for your budget that you did before, you can also change the percentages at this point. If you were comfortable with the amount of money you were spending on wants and needs before, you can actually use a higher percentage of your total income now for saving and investing. In fact, here I describe how you can use this type of method to build wealth in your 30s without stocks or real estate.
   
   But that’s just an idea. Whatever you choose to do, remembering that you don’t need to use all the money you receive right away is a way to help you budget and reach your financial goals faster.

Final Thoughts

Budgeting is just one way you can learn to manage your money better. And good money management skills can help you reach your financial goals, including paying off debt, becoming financially free, and building wealth. But budgeting may not be intuitive to some people.

If you’re in that group, I hope the above money mindset shifts help you view budgeting from a new perspective, whether you’re budgeting in your 30s or at any age.

~ Ashley C.

P.S. How would you like to transform your relationship with money? Join the Alternative Money Mindset newsletter, where you’ll get nontraditional tips and advice on topics like money mindset, setting financial goals, and building wealth with love. Don’t miss out!

Note: The advice presented here is for informational purposes only. If you’re in need of professional financial advice, please see a qualified professional.

Last updated: August 21, 2025