Budgeting for Reality: How to Manage Your Money When Everything is Expensive

Does your paycheck feel like it's showing up to a gunfight armed with a butter knife? If you're tired of old-school financial advice that blames your £5 coffee for systemic problems, this is your field guide for the world we live in right now. Budgeting for Reality isn't going to shame you or tell you to stop enjoying your life. This is a practical, step-by-step manual for taking back control when everything feels expensive. The goal isn't misery; it's mastery. We redefine the budget not as a cage, but as the control panel for your financial life, empowering you to trade mindless, stressful spending for conscious, confident choices. Inside this no-judgment guide, you will find actionable strategies to: Understand the real forces squeezing your wallet, from inflation to the sneaky tactics of "shrinkflation" and "greedflation". Conduct a guilt-free "financial autopsy" to discover where your money really goes. Define a mission for your money based on what brings you genuine joy, not vague wishes. Build a resilient budget blueprint, starting with your absolute "Survival Number". Tame the two giants in your budget: housing and transport costs. Navigate the supermarket gauntlet and outsmart the psychological tricks designed to make you overspend. Face the "debt dragon" head-on with clear, proven strategies like the Debt Avalanche and Debt Snowball. Build a financial moat with an emergency fund to turn potential catastrophes into mere inconveniences. This is your training manual to become the master of your money, not its servant. It's time to stop feeling adrift and start steering toward the life you want, built with intention and confidence.