You’ve probably been told that budgeting is the key to financial success. Track your spending, cut back on unnecessary expenses, and you’ll magically build wealth—right? Wrong.

If your budget makes you feel broke all the time, you’re doing it wrong. Most budgeting advice focuses on cutting back, pinching pennies, and sacrificing everything fun.

The true power of the “Pay Yourself First” strategy lies in its automation. Studies have shown that people are much more likely to save when it’s effortless—meaning, the less you have to think about it, the better.

One of the biggest reasons people struggle with budgeting is guilt. Every time you buy a coffee, eat out, or make an unplanned purchase, you feel like you’re failing financially. But what if you could enjoy spending and build wealth at the same time?

If you’ve ever felt like budgeting is impossible to stick to, you’re not alone. The reason most budgets fail is simple: they’re designed to control spending, not build wealth.