Any amount over budget is not OK

Today was the last day of my weekly budget for my work lunches. I had $8 in my wallet and headed off to my company's cafeteria. I didn't think I would have any issues buying a good lunch with the money I had so I went to the Mexican section to buy a burrito. I don't know why but I was craving a chicken burrito today and this place made really good ones. However, when I got to the start of the line and looked at the prices, I saw that the chicken burrito that I usually get was $8.25. I don't really go to this section of the cafeteria often and never realized how high their prices were. So, I had to shift gears and figure out something else to eat today. I ended up buying a ham and cheese sandwich with some Sun Chips. It wasn't my first craving but it did the trick.

Anyway, the main reason why I wanted to share this story is because it demonstrates some of the debt free journey skills I've developed along the way. Before my journey, I probably would've pulled out my debit card and paid for the burrito without thinking twice. But that would've put me over budget, thus making me pull money from other budgeted items. Or sometimes it would be even worse as I wouldn't really think about replenishing the over budget amount, so it took money away from paying down debt. That was one of the main reasons why we used to have little of no money left at the end of the month to pay extra towards paying down debt.

If you're thinking that going over budget by 25 cents means little and I'm making a big deal over nothing, it's not the specific over budget amount that matters the most. The most important thing is the mentality associated with this scenario. Going over budget once sets a precedence in your mind that it's OK. I'm glad that I've built up the muscle associated with consciously deciding not to go down the over budget slippery slope.