We asked successful entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us about whether they have a budget and how they think about spending decisions and have shared some of their responses below.

Taylor Morgan | Holistic Lifestyle Specialist

My formula for making buying decisions: 1. Define your goals. 2. Determine the problems/challenges that are stopping/slowing you from achieving those goals. 3. Ask yourself, “What problem does this product/service solve?” 4. Then ask, “What is having that problem solved worth to me?” and “What value will this problem being solved bring to my life?” 5. Determine whether the solution to that problem (aka the product/service) is worth the monetary cost based on the value it brings to your life. Read more>>

Sharon Harris | Pinhole Photographer

I think of myself as a minimalist How to apply a minimalist direction to a financial scenario has always been of interest to me. I believe that some of the necessary steps to financial freedom are the downsizing of your stuff and space, becoming organized, and living below your means. The next step is to use your talents. As an artist, I have chosen to keep my personal art separate from my commercial work. Using my “artistic eye” I have engaged in freelance work as a photo retoucher and in the process of buying and renovating houses. Having worked for my money certainly put me on a good financial path but at some point my money needs to start working for me. I am accomplishing this through various investments and financial planning. Reaping the benefits of my financial plan, and the freedom that it has brought, has enabled me to live the artistic life I have envisioned for myself without worry. Read more>

Bulk Styles | Artist

“ Money isn’t everything but with out it you can’t do sh*t…” I Remember being told that as a kid and it has stuck with me to this day…Money can be many things to each of us and serve a multitude of purposes in its own unique way. Money can be a lifeline, a sense of stability, A Comfort, A stress ( more money, more problems ) which seems to be very true, and also a competition. So to me it’s not the actual Money itself that holds the most value in my life its having enough of it to be able to focus more on what does hold value and that’s my Family and Art. It’s a currency with many different values it just depends how you wanna cash in your chips… I’ve always thought… Money just makes you more of what you already are. So for me Im fortunate at this age in my life to realize that I want to wake up everyday and not have to WORK for someone else to make enough money to AFFORD myself a little Time to SPEND on doing the things that give me a reason to get up and outta bed in the morning. As far as lifestyle and spending decisions go my Grandmother always told me “. Read more>>