Ever wonder where your money actually goes… or do you prefer to avoid eye contact with your bank statements?

In this episode of Budgets for Badges, Chris and Rebecca are pulling the financial body cam footage and breaking down their top 10 spending categories of 2025—no filters, no fluff, and yes, a little self-judgment. We’re walking through what we planned to spend money on, what actually happened, and what surprised us most once the numbers were in.

This isn’t a “perfect budget” episode. It’s a real-life look at how a first responder family navigated spending, priorities, lifestyle choices, and the occasional “how did that cost that much?” moment.

We’ll cover:

• The categories that quietly ate the budget

• What aligned with our values—and what didn’t

• Where convenience won (because life and shifts)

• Lessons we’re carrying into 2026

  
  

If you’ve ever felt like your money disappears faster than a cancelled call, this episode will feel very familiar.

Consider this your reminder: awareness beats perfection every time.

Follow us on IG:

Budgets for Badges: https://www.instagram.com/budgetsforbadges

Rebecca Jameson: https://www.instagram.com/bluelinemoneycoach

Chris Harksen-Lucero: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthenumbersbn