I’ve tracked my spending since 2017. Every dollar. What I haven't really done is budget.
Through a mix of privilege and personality, I haven’t had to. My income has covered my needs, and I’ve always seen myself as a naturally low spender and steady saver. But I also don’t have much to compare myself to. People don’t exactly trade annual shopping budgets in casual conversation.
So this year, I’m doing something different: I’m sharing parts of my spending and my budget openly.
My "Kevin's Shopping" Category
My wife and I track our spending in 10 main categories and about 30 subcategories. I’ll get into the full household tracking system in a future post. For now, I just want to zoom in on one subcategory: “Kevin’s Shopping.”
This is where I track everything I’ve bought for myself over the past nine years. Hobby gear (backpacking, skiing, golf), most of my clothing, 4+ cell phones, ryobi power tools, travel souvenirs. The exact logic has changed a bit over time, but you get the idea: it’s my personal, mostly-non-essential “stuff” bucket.
A couple of quick clarifications on what does *not* land here:
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Running shoes and fitness gear go into “Health & Fitness”
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A lot of things for the home go into “Household Goods”
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Gifts and donations go into... "Gifts & Donations"
My Historic Spending
So what do I actually spend? In 2017, I spent exactly $747 on personal shopping. I was 23.
From 2018–2024, my annual total landed between $1,201 and $3,547. And last year, 2025, I spent $1,870. I was 31.
Is that high, low, or perfectly average for my age and income? My guess is it's probably low.
Below is a screenshot of the Google Sheet I used (and still use) to track my spending in 2017. The categories and process have evolved over time to reflect my current life and priorities, but the core idea has stayed the same. Track what is spent. The “Me” category was originally where I tracked my shopping and self-splurges. I didn't splurge much, but life was good!
My Google Sheet for tracking my 2017 Spending
A Personal Challenge for 2026
I love a good personal money challenge. It turns what could feel restrictive into something more like a game. So when I started thinking about an actual shopping budget for 2026, I went back to where this all started: 2017. Adjusted for inflation, what I spent that year comes out to almost exactly $1,000. So that’s the number I’m using: my 2026 "Kevin's Shopping" budget is $1,000.
I’ve already spent $88 on a jacket, which means I’ve got $912 left to work with for the rest of the year.
I’m also really interested in what happens when I set this goal out in the open like this. Goals feel different when other people can see them. So we’ll see how this plays out in real time.
In future posts, I’ll dig into how I track and categorize my spending and investing, how I set financial goals, and anything else people are curious about. My hope is that it sparks honest conversation and gets you thinking more intentionally about your own money habits and goals, and whether they actually line up with the life you want.