What could you do with $432? You could put it into savings. You could pay off debt. You could probably think of plenty of worthwhile things to do with your money once you see where it's going. That's how budgeting helps you. It allows you to examine your spending habits and establish any necessary priorities. And it can help you find a way to enjoy your morning cup of coffee without spending $432!
Many people think of budgeting as a sort of self-inflicted punishment, but the purpose of a budget is NOT to prevent you from enjoying the little things in life. In fact, when properly constructed, a budget will help you preserve some of those little things. After completing a budget and seeing that you are spending $432 a year on coffee, you'll probably think of a number of ways to reduce that amount. For example, if you purchase a coffeemaker and enough of the ingredients to make your morning cup of coffee three or four days a week, how much could you save? Let's return to our example for another moment.