Our Spending Story

Mar 8

What Your Spending Reveals About Your Priorities

As many of you know, I have transformed several aspects of my life in the last few years. As I get clear and intentional about one area of life, I often realize an adjacent area of life is out of alignment. Lately I have been thinking about life after teaching, but before I take action, I need to get clear about a few things.

I often say to my students and clients: “Show me how you spend your time, and I’ll show you what you value.” As I have cleaned up and gotten more intentional about how I spend my time, I’ve realized that our spending habits tell an equally powerful story.

Just as our time expenditures map our values, if we’re honest, money reveals what we truly value as well, not just what we say we value.

Personal finance expert Ramit Sethi calls these patterns Money Dials.

Think of them like volume knobs in different areas of life. Each of us naturally turns up the dial in certain places where spending feels meaningful, exciting, or worthwhile.

Some people love spending time and money on travel. Others prioritize health and fitness. Some invest heavily in learning and personal development. Others value experiences, relationships, or convenience.

The idea behind Money Dials isn’t to stop spending. It’s to spend consciously.

After I had my kids, I was tired, spread thin, and overwhelmed. I found myself in the Starbucks drive through, spending $15 a day, and often waiting in line for 15 minutes for a quick fix. Sure it was easy, but it was working against my health and finance goals. Old Traci would have felt guilty about this. Really old Traci was completely unaware of this habit and the impact that it had on other areas of her life. Instead of feeling guilty about every purchase, I got intentional. I learned to cut back on things that don’t matter so I could invest generously in the things that do.

Many of us are unknowingly living in misalignment. We say our health matters, but how we spend our time and our spending says otherwise. We say family is our priority, but our calendars and budgets tell a different story. Time and money have a way of revealing the truth.

How My Own Spending Has Shifted

Like many people, my spending habits have evolved over time. There was a period when convenience was a big driver for me. Choosing the easiest option in a busy season of life was understandable at the time. My life has changed drastically since then, but I did not update my habits and patterns. When I thought about what I could do with the time and money I was spending each morning, I became aware that who I wanted to be and what I wanted were not in alignment with my spending habits.

Honestly, sometimes convenience is necessary. There is no judgement here. But as I’ve become more intentional about the life I want to build, my spending has shifted. I wish I would have realized this earlier.

Today, my biggest investments tend to center around:

• Health and wellbeing (including my community)
• Personal growth and coaching
• Creating a peaceful and healthy life for me and my kiddos
• Travel, experiences, and fun together
• FItness and my gym community

In other words, my spending has become more aligned with what truly matters to me. And that alignment feels different. It feels intentional.

Something to think about…

If someone looked at your spending for the last three months, what would they conclude about your priorities?

Not the priorities you hope to have someday, the priorities you’re living in right now.

Again, this isn’t about judgment, it’s about awareness.

Because once you see where your money naturally flows, you can start making decisions that bring your spending closer to the life you actually want to live.

In my next post, I’ll walk through the 10 most common Money Dials and help you start identifying your own.

You might be surprised by what you discover.