I’ll admit that the phrase “living within your means” automatically makes me think about being limited or feeling deprived, which doesn’t sound fun in the least. But the more time I’ve spent on my own financial habits, the more I’ve realized that making decisions based on a budget—and being smart about money in general—is a way to live rich. Whether you practice thriftiness and try to spend as little as possible while saving aggressively, or you focus on making money whenever you can to have a bunch of different sources of income, a primary way to live within your means involves fitting your spending into your lifestyle in a way that sets you up for future success.
You don’t need to become an utter minimalist either. Just focus on reducing stress around money so you can live more freely. Being in control of your money is powerful—when you know exactly where your money is going and why, you have agency over deciding how to spend it. This challenge provides a few thought exercises that combine sentiments from all the previous money challenges so you can start living a life within your means and without financial burden.