How To Create An LBD: Little Budget Diary

What is a money date?

A money date can take on many forms, but it should always align with where you are in life. If you're single — or choose to keep money separate in your relationship — then a money date can be carving out time for yourself to create a comfortable space and review your priorities, values, and overall financial goals and hopefully actually set a plan in motion to achieve those. If you're in a relationship with combined finances, a money date can also be a way for you and your significant other to come together to talk about money and what matters most to each of you in a way that makes you comfortable and makes finances more approachable. TBH, even a group of friends can also get together with the purpose of focusing on money and topics that can help each of you gain better insights and strategies into reducing financial stress and building financial wellness and wealth.

How do you plan a money date?

A good starting point is to simply just...begin. One step leads into the next and before you know it, you've built life-long healthy money habits. But what does "beginning" actually look like? If you have a S.O., it's important to quickly chat with each other and establish the importance of money dates. Let them know that you want to work together to build healthy conversations around your goals and values with an emphasis on money and how that plays into your financial success. If you want to create a group of friends to have more structured conversations together, then think of 5-7 people that you think would be interested in the topic, add value to the conversation, and benefit from the discussion. And yes, even if you decide you want to focus on your money individually, you still need to structure it just like you structure time for your workouts!

No matter who you have your money date with, my best advice is to keep it consistent and have some guidelines. Being consistent means that you plan accordingly and you do the work if you want to enjoy the benefits. Set a time for individual or couple conversations — once a week for an hour is reasonable. For a group, once a month is more realistic. It will be more productive if you have the conversation in a place where you don't get distracted and where you have privacy as money can be a sensitive topic. Over a cup of coffee on the deck or a glass of wine on the couch, whatever works best for you.

What should you talk about on a money date?

There are a number of topics you should cover during a money date, which is why I suggest scheduling yours for one hour a week, same day, same time, and same place. You're establishing a habit and this is the best way for you to be consistent and reach your goal of financial health and wellness. The topics will be broad and then there should be opportunities for you to dig further down. My favorite break the ice question to get things started? Ask someone what's important to them about money.

Starting with this question will bring down some barriers and take the focus off how much money you have (quantitative) to what is important to you (qualitative). There will be plenty of time to go over numbers, but the first money date should be focused on dreams, goals, and values.

It's also critical to avoid money shaming during your conversation. Think about your relationship with money. How did you grow up learning about money? Did your parents fight about it? Was it a taboo subject that nobody spoke about? Or was there a scarcity of money? Think about it — these memories we have about money and our first introduction to money can have a negative affect on us that we don't even realize until we start to ask these questions. By starting conversations with qualitative questions first, you will quickly find out what your differences are and what the pain points are and help you identify the areas that you will need to discuss and work through more carefully.

After that, the first step in any of the following topics is to gather the information. Bring all the details with you to the date. There will be time to dig in deeper, have discussions around it, and make a decision or two — although don't worry about solving it all in one date. The point here is to make process based on the information you have at hand. The areas that you should address include the following:

• Cash Flow: What's coming in (salary, income) and what's going out (expenses). There's no way around it — your expenses must be less than your income to be financially successful. Budgeting is usually the first place to start, but can also be the most difficult. It's okay to skip this one for now and come back to it if needed. Think of this as taking charge of your money one step at a time!
• Debt: Credit cards, car loans, mortgages, student loans... no matter what type you have, debt can be challenging and ultimately set you back years financially if you don't address it the right way. There's definitely a difference between good debt and bad debt, and knowing which one is which is important to help you understand the best way to tackle this.
• Retirement: It can be hard to think about retirement when you're in your earning or accumulation years. The key is to set up an automatic process where the money goes into your retirement accounts before it ever hits your bank account. You won't miss it if you don't see it.
• Insurance/Protection: There are many reasons to transfer risk away from you onto an insurance company. Start with the basics — life, auto, home, and consider your company's benefits here as well.
• Investing: The time value of money and compound interest are your best friends. Automating monthly deposits into your investment account is a great way to build wealth over time.
• Estate Planning: Nobody likes to think of this one, but it's important to address. Retirement accounts and insurance falls outside of the will so be sure to update your beneficiaries annually(who you want to get your money if something were to happen to you). You will need at least the three basic documents as well - will, (who gets your money, assets and personal items) power of attorney (who can make financial decisions for you if you are unable to do so) and health care proxy (who can make medical decisions on your behalf)
• Education: If you have kids and want to plan for the growing costs of college, 529s custodial accounts and other investments are available to help do so.
• Philanthropy: Are you charitably inclined? Do you have causes that are important to you? Did you know that there are other ways to donate other than writing a check? You can also donate stock (Most who donate stock will donate appreciated stock, or stock that has gone up in value).

What happens after your money date?

Having an easy way to approach your money and having a system to manage your money will help you reduce stress around money and build confidence to move forward successfully. With the above plan, you can address both the quantitative side of your life as well as your qualitative side of your life to build wealth well. It's critical to explore the emotional side of money and what it means to you so you can better understand the best way for you to approach the dollars and sense of it.

If you're single and are thinking about when to start a money date — the best time to start is now. You're not too young and you're not too old. If you start today, you're one step closer to reaching financial peace of mind. Step one is set up time for your first date.

If you're in a relationship, the best time to start a money date is when you're beginning to discuss building a future together. When you have an SO, it takes the complications of money one step further as you each have a history with money that you bring to the table and to the relationship. Unchecked, it can cause challenges when it may be too late. Building habits early on and normalizing conversations about money will help you to implement the steps and actions that are needed to realize your goals together.

Having money dates on a regular basis will keep you consistent, disciplined, and focused financially. The benefits to a money date (and a lifelong process of money dates) is financial confidence — knowing where you stand, having the choice to do what you want with your time and money, and building a healthier, wealthier you. Money touches every aspect of your life, but money dates help you feel less stress, more in control, communicate better, and make better decisions in all of those aspects. By addressing this now, you're navigating complicated but important differences that you will want to work through together and start setting up healthy money habits now for your future.

Why is money such a big issue in relationships?

Let's address the pretty pink elephant in the room — talking about money is hard for some of us, and it has everything to do with our mentality. Irwin says, "The psychological aspect — pride, guilt, regret, etc. — is what impedes having a practical conversation about it. It serves as a barrier for couples."

She also shared that, through research, Wells Fargo has conducted surveys that show customers would rather talk about everything else BEFORE having a conversation about money. "Part of it ties back to money and financial habits being a snapshot of how someone chooses to spend or save money" says Irwin.

What are some financial red flags to look out for?

This can vary based on the person which is why Irwin suggests making observations about whoever you're dating. For example, if you didn't plan your date, Irwin suggests looking at where your date proposes the two of you go. If you're at a restaurant, Irwin says to be mindful of how your date treats those in the service industry. "Do they spend a lot, but skimp on the tip? Are they stingy with how much they spend on their meal, but tip generously based on their budget? These are questions to ask yourself," says Irwin.

If you're at a point where you're a few dates in, it's okay to start asking them more personal questions. "You can start by asking about their educational and career goals, history with money, and how they feel about certain decisions they've made. By learning about their characteristics, you can see how their financial habits manifests," says Irwin.

That being said, if you notice that your S.O. is willing to bet your entire rent money on something like the Super Bowl — that's a huge red flag. It shows a lack of concern for both of your wellbeing and can indicate they're willing to be careless in order for a "what if" moment.

Irwin also says, "Should money be used as a power play in your relationship, this can snowball into, 'I make the most money so I'm the one making the decisions.' This is a major financial red flag to look out for." And if this behavior isolates you from your family and friends because of income disparity, Irwin wants you to really reconsider why you're in it.

Even if you're well past the dating stage and are in a serious relationship or marriage, financial red flags aren't a one-time thing. "They can actually ebb and flow. Some people have financial secrecy due to their income, spending history, good or bad investments. If you or your S.O. experiences a flux in finances, this can cause you to go inward and not open up about what's going on," says Irwin.

There's also the scenario of realizing that your S.O. may be willing to take on more debt than you expected. "Having an understanding of why someone is making the financial decisions they are helps a lot," says Irwin.

What if I recognize I'm the one with financial red flags instead of the person I'm dating?

I want to let you in on a little secret — we're all capable of red flags because nobody's perfect! It doesn't mean that you're a terrible person if your relationship with money isn't the most stable. Irwin says, "The majority of people rely on family for financial advice because that's what's familiar, but it doesn't always mean you're getting the most solid advice. Having a S.O. who does has financial stability and is willing to listen while you're being honest about your history with money can help you make better choices."

From there, the two of you can see how you can work together so that both of your choices is beneficial in the long run. "I'll be honest — there's really not a 'right' way to merge finances. It's a subjective decision that varies from couple to couple," says Irwin.

Are financial red flags dealbreakers or something that can be navigated?

There isn't a simple answer to this besides understanding what you will or won't tolerate in a relationship. Irwin says, "Start by asking yourself, 'Can I reconcile this? Can we work through this,' before making any major decisions."

In her personal experience, Irwins says that she and her husband had different financial upbringings, so they've had to reconcile those differences. "We still have to work to understand each other and have respectful conversations to see how big of a deal a money situation is. Honestly though, I still believe love is in the air and that most couples can work through financial red flags," she says.

Where can I stream Anyone But You in 2024?

Following its theatrical release, you can stream Anyone But You on Netflix starting April 23, 2024.

What are all the Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell rumors?

Sweeney calmly set the record straight in regards to the aforementioned gossip and those Glen Powell rumors. In an interview with Variety, she clarified what their relationship is actually like.

“It’s a rom-com,” she says in the interview. “That’s what people want! Glen and I don’t really care. We have so much fun together, and we respect each other so much; he’s such a hard worker, and I’m a hard worker. We’re excited for the press tour, and I literally just left ADR with him. We talk all the time like, ‘That’s really funny.’”

Glen also jcleared up rumors of the alleged romantic connection in his interview with Men's Health. “When all that stuff happened, you know, publicly, it felt disorienting and unfair," he says. "But what I’m realizing is that’s just a part of this gig now.”

He went on to prove that he takes the idea of being an actor — and more importantly, a friend — really seriously, saying “the definition of a movie star is somebody you want to grab a beer with, and when you get too drunk and leave the bar, you can trust him with your wife."

Sydney Sweeney also talked about the rumors during her SNL monologue on March 2. "Me and my fiancé produced the movie together and he was there the entire shoot," she says. "And I just want to let everyone know that he's the man of my dreams and we're still together and stronger than ever."

When she asks the camera to cut to her fiancé, Jonathan Davino, they cut to Glen Powell, who made a surprise appearance during the episode!

If that wasn't enough, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell embraced the rumors in order to market Anyone But You. During an interview with the New York Times, Sydney said it was all a part of their plan. "I wanted to make sure that we were actively having a conversation with the audience as we were promoting this film...Because at the end of the day, they’re the ones who created the entire narrative," she admitted.

This was a hilarious way to get viewers talking, and not take them too seriously, and I'm obsessed!

Is there an Anyone But You 2?

"I'm just so thankful that everybody is loving [Anyone But You]...a little love, a little romance," Sydney Sweeney tells Jimmy Fallon. When Jimmy asks whether fans will get a sequel, Sydney teases "a high nine chance."

Glen Powell also confirmed the duo is trying to work together again! “Sydney is so easy to work with and so fun," he tells Variety. "We’re definitely trying to find the next thing. Please send us all the scripts you got...We’re reading everything and just trying to see what makes sense, what we can turn into something that audiences are going to respond to.”

What is the plot of the movie Anyone But You?

Anyone But You follows two people whose hatred towards one another turns into love during a destination wedding, which is full of humorous hijinks. The movie serves as an homage to throwback romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and The Proposal. "[It's like] that early-2000s big blockbuster that people love to go to that made you feel good,” Sweeney told Variety.

When is the Anyone But You release date?

Anyone But You premiered in theaters on December 22, 2023. It was one of our most anticipated winter movies! You can buy the film on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime now.

Is the spider in Anyone But You real?

Yes, the spider in Anyone But You is definitely real, and it actually bit Sydney when they were filming! In the clip she brings to The Tonight Show, you can hear the shift in her voice when she realizes she's in pain...and then tries to tell everyone on set she's not acting anymore.

How else was Sydney Sweeney involved in Anyone But You?

Sydney is way more than just a blockbuster actress. Anyone But You is truly her baby, having developed the spec script (a non-commissioned and unsolicited screenplay, usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script purchased) over the course of a year with screenwriter Ilana Wolpert (of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and Jeff Kirschenbaum (of The Gray Man), before hiring Glen Powell as her love interest and Will Gluck (of the cult-classic Easy A) as the film's director.

“She never left set,” Will tells Variety. “Never went to her trailer. She’s so blazingly smart, and she’s such a quick study, and she’s not afraid to ask questions. Her other superpower is that she doesn’t sleep. Two hours every night.”

According to Gluck, Sydney also acted as a “camp counselor" on set in Australia, scheduling group activities like an outing to the Sydney Opera House and a double-decker bus tour. Can we join this group on their next group hang?!

Watch The First Teaser For "Anyone But You"

"In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia," the caption for the official movie trailer reads. "So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple." A classic trope! And we're here for it! Watch the first Anyone But You trailer here.

Watch The Official "Anyone But You" Trailer

The second trailer builds on the chemistry we saw in the first teaser, and it looks just as steamy, hilarious, and romantic as we hoped. Not only do Bea and Ben have to convince their families they're interested in each other, but they have to convince their exes too?! Yeah..that's going to be tough. My favorite part of the trailer is when Bea falls off the boat and Ben dives in to help her — it's giving The Proposal!