August 2026 money review: a spendy month that still supported my goals

August was another very spendy month for me. At this point, that’s kind of the theme of 2026. But it was also one of my happiest months and my best month in business so far, which is exactly why I do these monthly money reviews: to make sure my spending, saving, and earning actually line up with the life I want.

In this breakdown, I’ll walk you through what I spent in August, what went off the rails, what felt worth every dollar, and how I’m budgeting for September with more honesty about what my life really costs right now.

My three-step monthly money review

Every month, I follow the same simple three-step process:

1. Update and track the numbers. I catch up on income and expenses, log any final savings and investment contributions, and update my net worth. I do this manually once a month on purpose—so I see the big picture, not the daily market noise, and so I’m actually checking my accounts for anything weird.

2. Reflect on what happened. Instead of just asking “Did I overspend?” I look at what was predictable, what was an outlier, and what story the numbers are telling about my life right now.

3. Plan the next month’s budget. I adjust my categories, set a few clear intentions, and make sure my plan matches my real priorities—not a fantasy version of my life that doesn’t exist anymore.

August at a glance: the financial scoreboard

Here’s the quick snapshot of how August shook out:

Total spending: about $8,500
Planned spending: about $7,200

So yes, I overspent my plan by a decent margin.

On the positive side:

• Net worth: up about 7% month-over-month, thanks to both market growth and consistent contributions to my retirement and brokerage accounts.
• Saving and investing: I hit my main investing goals for the year already and still added more in August, plus I started a new savings goal (more on that later).

One thing I did well: I leaned into low-cost weekends—lots of beach time, more hanging out than going out. One thing I missed: I was still over my personal grocery target, even though I brought it down a bit compared to previous months.

Step 1: updating the numbers and doing admin

Here’s what I actually do behind the scenes at the end of the month:

• Track income and expenses: I log everything into my spreadsheet, catching up on the last week of the month.

• Record transfers and contributions: For me, that’s 401(k) contributions and a distribution from my business into my brokerage account. If you have debt, this is also where you’d log payments and updated balances.

• Update net worth: I pull current balances for all my accounts and track month-over-month change. I don’t look daily. I don’t need to see every blip in the market, just the overall trend.

• Do a quick admin reset: I pay next month’s rent a few days early, pay off all my credit cards in full, and make sure I’m starting the new month with a clean slate.

This whole reset takes me about 20 minutes, but it makes the reflection and planning steps much easier because I’m working with fresh, accurate numbers.

Step 2: what my August spending actually looked like

Instead of going line by line, I like to break my spending into three buckets:

1. The predictable
These are my usual essentials: rent, utilities, basic bills. But even here, August was a bit wacky because I had a big wave of “everything ran out at once” restocks.

2. The outliers
These are expenses that were unusually high, low, or surprising. In August, I had a lot of those.

3. The story
This is where I zoom out and ask: what is this month telling me about my life, my habits, and my priorities?

August outliers: where things spiked

Household essentials

This was one of the biggest surprises. I had multiple Target runs where I restocked almost everything at once: shampoo and conditioner, shower products, toilet paper, contact solution, toothpaste, a new toothbrush, laundry detergent—just all of it.

Individually, none of these are huge purchases. Together, they add up quickly. This is one of those sneaky categories that can easily blow up a “low-spend” month.

Transportation and insurance

My car insurance renewed in August, and in my head I thought it was happening in October. On top of that, I still need to fully register my car in California and I want to revisit my insurance setup.

So for September, one of my main goals is to:

• Reassess my car insurance (coverage, cost, and company)
• Register my car in California
• Look into bundling policies (auto + renter’s insurance) to hopefully save over the long term

Subscriptions and annual fees

The big one here: my Amex Platinum annual fee renewed at $895.

I knew this was coming and had planned for it, but I accidentally tracked it in a different category than I’d budgeted for. The fee is high, but right now it’s worth it to me. I’ve been traveling a lot and the perks and savings I get from the card more than offset the cost. I also set a calendar reminder every year before the renewal date to force myself to review whether I still want to keep it.

Shopping and fun spending

I did some shopping at the beginning of the month because I spent a weekend in San Francisco with a friend. My flight was free (a credit from a canceled brand deal), so it felt like the perfect time to go.

While we were wandering around, I bought:

• New bras from ThirdLove: I genuinely needed them and got fitted properly for the first time in years. They were on sale, and I’m really happy with the purchase.

• A Sézane sweater: 100% wool, around $180, very cute, very fall. The only downside: it’s been way too hot to wear it, which makes it feel less “worth it” right now—but I know future me will be glad I have it.

• Jonas Brothers tickets: Zero regrets. This is the kind of fun spending that feels completely aligned with what I value. Experiences like this are exactly what I want my money to be able to do for me.

Groceries and food

Groceries are still a work in progress. I’ve been over my personal grocery target for months, but August felt a bit more under control even though I was still higher than I’d like.

Why it’s higher:

• Restocks: I ran out of some pricier items like protein powder and collagen peptides.
• Farmers market shopping: I’ve been buying a lot of fresh, organic produce, which costs more but lines up with my health priorities.

I’m only shopping for myself and I don’t buy meat, so part of me feels like my grocery bill “should” be lower. But prices have gone up across the board, and I’m choosing higher-quality food. So it’s less about guilt and more about gradually tightening this category to a number that still supports how I want to eat.

Travel

Aside from San Francisco, I didn’t have huge travel expenses in August. My flight was covered, our hotel was discounted via a media rate and split with my friend, and I came in a little under what I’d expected for this trip.

This is where sinking funds are so helpful. I have a dedicated travel fund inside my high-yield savings account, so when a trip comes up—like San Francisco or my upcoming Palm Springs weekend—I’m pulling from money I’ve been setting aside all along, not scrambling after the fact.

The bigger story: accepting a new spending baseline

The main lesson August reinforced for me is this:

My spending has changed, and that’s not automatically a bad thing.

Compared to a few years ago:

• My cost of living is higher (LA vs. Chicago).
• My income is higher, and I’ve hit my main saving and investing targets for the year.
• My life is fuller and happier—more travel, more hobbies, more experiences.

For months, I’ve been trying to force my budget to match an older version of my life. I kept planning for “ideal” lower spending and then being surprised when reality didn’t line up.

August helped me close that loop. I’m starting to accept that:

• This is what my life costs right now.
• I can afford it without sacrificing my long-term goals.
• Discomfort seeing a bigger number isn’t the same thing as doing something wrong.

Money is a tool. If spending a bit more means I’m paying for hobbies, experiences, travel, my health, and my well-being—and I’m still saving and investing what I need to—then that tradeoff is worth it to me.

My August financial journal prompts

I’ve started ending my monthly review by answering a few simple reflection questions. You can absolutely borrow these for your own money check-in.

1. What did money make possible for me this month?

For August, the big ones were:

• Traveling comfortably: Upgrading my hotel, using card perks, and actually enjoying the trips I took instead of stressing about every dollar.

• Driving safely: Renewing my car insurance isn’t fun, but it protects me from financial disaster if something happens on the road.

• Taking care of my body: I’ve been lifting more, moving my body regularly, and buying high-quality, organic food. That combination has made a big difference in how I feel.

2. What purchase felt the most worth it?

Hands down: Jonas Brothers tickets. It’s pure joy spending, and that matters.

3. What didn’t feel worth it?

The Sézane sweater—only because I can’t wear it yet. It’s a great piece and I know I’ll love it in cooler weather, but right now in the middle of a heat wave, it feels a little premature.

4. What am I currently saving for?

Besides my long-term “work optional” goal and my general travel fund, I started a new savings goal: my future nephew.

My sister is having a baby in early 2027, and I want to gift the baby money in a way that’s actually useful. Right now I’ve opened a separate savings “vault” and I’m setting money aside there. I’ll talk with my brother-in-law (who is a financial advisor) about what kind of account makes the most sense and how that fits into my estate planning and future will.

5. What has changed in my life or priorities?

My mindset around money has shifted this year. I’m no longer in a season of aggressive penny-pinching. I’ve put in a lot of work to increase my income and build a strong financial foundation, and now I’m letting my money support a life that is genuinely fun and happy.

I’m still responsible by nature—I’m not going to blow up my finances on a whim—but I’m also not going to guilt myself for spending on things that clearly enrich my life.

6. What financial decision am I still figuring out?

My biggest unanswered question is: what is my true baseline spending?

Every month this year has come with “one-off” expenses—travel for weddings, moving costs, annual fees, random life stuff. I kept waiting for a perfectly normal month that never came.

I’m starting to accept that 2026 might just be a more expensive year than I originally imagined. I have the money. I’m still hitting my goals. Maybe next year will be more representative of my long-term baseline, but for now, my job is to be honest about what’s happening and plan accordingly.

Step 3: how I’m budgeting for September

When I plan a new month, I like to ask myself four questions:

1. What’s staying the same?
2. What’s increasing?
3. What’s decreasing?
4. What do I need to prepare for next month?

What’s staying the same

My core essentials aren’t changing: rent, utilities, and my baseline grocery target are all staying where they are for now.

What’s increasing

• Household essentials: I bumped this up slightly in case there are a few lingering restocks. I’d rather be honest than pretend it’ll magically be zero.

• Travel: I’m going to Palm Springs over Labor Day weekend with a friend. The hotel is already paid for, but I’m planning for massages plus food and transportation.

• Gifts: My mom’s birthday is in September, so I increased my gifts category to cover her present.

What’s decreasing

• Self-maintenance: I originally budgeted $500 for Botox in September, but I decided to push that to later in the year (likely November). I don’t think I need it yet, and spacing it out more is better for both my skin and my budget.

What I’m preparing for in October

October is a big travel month: I’m going to Ireland.

In September, I want to:

• Add extra money to my travel sinking fund so I can enjoy the trip without stress.
• Make sure I’ll be able to pay off my credit card in full when I get back, even if I spend more than usual while I’m there.

My September money intentions

This year, I’ve been moving away from super rigid goals and focusing more on clear monthly intentions. For September, I’ve set three:

1. Deal with my car insurance and registration

This is one of those admin tasks that’s easy to procrastinate. My intention is to fully sort out my car registration in California and review my insurance coverage and bundling options.

2. Be more intentional with my ceramics membership

I have a ceramics studio membership and I’ve been going consistently, but often without a plan. In September, I want to:

• Go at least six times
• Have a specific focus each session (a skill to practice or a project to work on)

Hobbies cost money, and I’m okay with that—but I want to feel like I’m really using what I’m paying for.

3. Pause clothing purchases and review my fall wardrobe

I’m not doing a strict “no-buy” (those haven’t worked well for me), but I am pausing new clothing purchases for now. Before I buy anything for fall, I want to:

• Review what I already own
• See how my Chicago wardrobe translates to California weather
• Identify actual gaps instead of impulse-buying cute things that don’t fill a real need

The goal is to avoid vague “spend less” rules and instead make specific, realistic choices that actually change how I use my money.

Did my money support the life I’m building?

The final question I like to end on each month is this:

Did my money this month support the life I’m trying to build?

For August, my answer is yes.

Yes, I spent more than I would have imagined a few years ago. But that money paid for:

• My hobbies and creative outlets
• Travel and experiences
• My physical and mental well-being
• Protection through insurance and long-term investing

And I did all of that while still saving and investing enough to stay on track for my long-term goals.

That’s the real point of a monthly money review. It’s not to shame yourself for every overspend. It’s to understand the context: Is your spending aligned with your values? Is it within your means? Is it helping or hurting your long-term plans?

If you want more ideas for keeping your finances steady while still enjoying your life, you might like this guide to minimalist money habits. And if you’re ready to start doing your own monthly reviews, try building a simple system where you track your income, expenses, and net worth, then ask yourself a few honest reflection questions at the end of each month.

Over time, those small check-ins add up to a much clearer, calmer relationship with your money—and a life that actually looks like the one you’re working so hard to build.