Fund What Matters
Life’s about to change in a big way at our house—we’re getting ready to welcome baby #2.
In this edition, I’m sharing how we’re shifting our budget to match—and how you might do the same, no matter what season you’re in.
Hope it’s helpful. I’m especially excited to share this one with you.
— Andrew
In This Edition:
✏️ Stop cutting back. Start funding what you love.
❓ Rethinking your budget’s biggest pressure point.
📈 How we’re budgeting for baby #2.
⚡ Shift dollars to increase spending.
✏️ Clarity Shift: Fund What Matters
There’s a moment in nearly every coaching relationship when a subtle shift takes place.
It starts with someone saying, “I just need to spend less." But eventually, it turns into something deeper and more honest.
“I want to feel less pressure every month.”
“I want to be able to take that trip.”
“I want to be more generous with my time.”
“I want to buy myself back from this job.”
That’s the moment things change — when the focus moves from cutting back to building up. Because the work isn’t just about spending less... It’s about funding the life you actually want.
In practice, that might mean:
Increasing the grocery budget so you stop resenting every grocery run — a shift nearly every client ends up needing.
Building in a monthly “fun fund” so you have permission to enjoy your life while still making progress.
Topping off your emergency fund before baby arrives — one of several shifts we’re making in our household right now. (More on that below!)
Adding guardrails around generosity so you can give according to plan, not pressure — like one client did to stay aligned with their values and goals.
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula. But there is one consistent thread: When your money flows toward what matters, discipline becomes easier — and progress feels real.
If your budget only reflects what you can’t do, you’ll always feel behind. But if it reflects what you care about most, you’ll build momentum that actually sticks.
Let’s stop pretending the goal is just to spend less. Let’s get serious about funding what matters instead.
❓ Money Question: What part of your life feels underfunded right now?
Sometimes overspending isn’t the real issue — you might just be underfunding the part of your budget that matters most.
If your priorities always feel out of reach (or last in line),
your plan may be letting you down.
Clarity doesn’t always mean cutting back. Sometimes it means giving more to what you love.
📈 Real-Life Highlight: Baby #2 Is Changing Our Budget
I usually use this space to celebrate a client win — but this time, I’m offering a personal one.
My wife and I are just a few weeks away from welcoming our second child, and we’re doing our best to walk into this next chapter with eyes wide open — emotionally and financially.
We know life is about to change in big, beautiful, exhausting ways. So our financial plan is shifting to match.
Some of what that looks like:
Prioritizing the house projects that need to be done before the baby arrives — and making sure they’re funded so we’re not scrambling or stressing last-minute.
Pressing pause on anything nonessential. No new projects, no added stress. Not right now.
Setting aside time and money to create meaningful one-on-one moments with our son before his world changes. These weeks are important, and we want to be present for them.
Increasing our grocery budget by 20%. Not because our habits have changed, but because we know we’ll have less energy to stretch every dollar. That 20% isn’t intended to buy more or nicer food, but to enable us to shop more quickly and meal plan less specifically.
Shifting our non-grocery food budget: more for takeout, less for dining out. Because we probably won’t see the inside of a restaurant for a while — and that’s okay. But we’ll sure love to order some delivery.
None of these changes are about cutting back. They’re about aligning our money with what actually matters right now. That’s the kind of clarity we’re always trying to build — in our home and in this business.
⚡ Quick Tip: Shift funds on purpose.
If there’s a category in your budget that always feels tight — like groceries, household, or kid-related costs — try increasing the funding just enough to take the pressure off. But don’t just throw more money at it.
Instead, ask:
Where could I shift dollars from that isn’t really moving the needle right now?
It’s the same strategy we’re using at home: We know we’ll want more takeout in the months ahead with a newborn at home, so we increased that category — and trimmed our dining out budget to match.
Sometimes clarity means choosing what matters most right now, and funding that without guilt.
Want to talk with Andrew directly?
Schedule a 30-minute Free Clarity Session to get expert eyes on your financial questions and explore what support might look like.
→ Book your Free Clarity Session
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