The ‘Set It and Forget It’ Budget System for a Clutter-Free Life with the Budget Besties (Ep 279)
About the episode
Learn how to declutter your finances with the Budget Besties’ “set it and forget it” system. Simplify your money, automate your spending, and start living intentionally, without giving up life’s little joys.
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Links mentioned in this episode (some may be affiliate links):
Ever feel like you make good money but have nothing to show for it? You’re not alone.
In this fun and practical episode, Deanna sits down with Vanessa and Shana, best friends and master financial coaches known as the Budget Besties, to break down their “Bougie on a Budget” system—a simple, clutter-free approach to money that works automagically.
Together, they share how to create a set-it-and-forget-it budget that feels effortless, organized, and totally doable. You’ll learn how to separate your money into purposeful “buckets,” automate your spending, and finally feel in control of your finances (without cutting out your pumpkin spice lattes).
Whether you’re tired of tracking every expense or want to bring the same calm to your finances that you’ve brought to your home, this conversation will show you how to make your money work for your intentional life.
Key Takeaways:
1. Why most traditional budgets fail and what to do instead.
2. How to build a “set it and forget it” budget that runs automagically.
3. The five simple categories every clutter-free budget should include.
4. A new way to look at saving, spending, and planning for life’s “expected surprises.”
5. The mindset shift that makes managing money feel empowering (not restrictive).
About Shana & Vanessa:
Shana & Vanessa are best friends and Master Financial Coaches who help women who make good money but have nothing to show for it finally take ownership of their finances with a budget system that fits their real life and their big dreams.
Time Stamps:
00:00 – Welcome and episode overview
02:37 – Meet Shana & Vanessa, the Budget Besties
04:00 – Why women who make good money still feel broke
06:00 – Why most budgets fail (and how to fix it)
08:30 – The “Bougie on a Budget” one-page system
13:00 – What “automagical” budgeting really looks like
16:00 – Organizing your bank accounts for effortless spending
20:30 – The curling iron story: a surprising budgeting analogy
25:00 – Modern money management tools that simplify your life
27:30 – The credit card debate: rewards vs. reality
33:00 – Compromise strategies for couples and families
37:00 – Can you really automate it and forget it? (real-life proof)
40:30 – How best friends built a business around financial freedom
43:00 – Overcoming shame and clutter (at home and with money)
46:00 – Where to find the Budget Besties and their system
50:00 – Final thoughts and a simple financial action step
Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
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About Deanna Yates
Based in San Diego, CA, Deanna helps high-achieving moms clear the clutter from their homes and lives.
Through coaching, courses, summits, and her top-ranked Wannabe Clutter Free podcast, she supports modern women in building organized, peaceful homes where they can thrive.
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