You can take that takeout pad thai out of my cold, dead hands. If budgeting means not being able to splurge on a stressful Tuesday anymore, then let’s go for broke.

But we’re supposed to have a budget, right?

How do we create budgets that take into account our mental health now and financial health later? We invited budget coach Kara Perez, founder of the finance education company Bravely Go to help us figure this out.

We talk about how to adapt a budget to the realities of your life without cutting out all of the joy, and making conscious choices about where your dollars go, and when.

Also, Caitlin tries to get Sara and Kara to square off on different money management approaches. Instead, they agree there are many ways to take on your finances, as long as you do something. Anything! (Well, not anything, but not get paralyzed by the choices to the point that you never start.)

For more of Kara’s financial wisdom, sustainable investing approach and budgeting tips, follow her on Instagram and YouTube.

Oh! And do you have a passive income story? A success? A failure? Tell us about it in a voice memo and e-mail it to: [email protected]

Ask us your dumb investing and finance questions for Season 2 on our Ask Us page of our website!

This episode was edited by our co-producer Kelly West. Music by Bad Bad Hats and Devmo.