My Quarterly Budget Review Routine (What I Catch Every Time)

My Quarterly Budget Review Routine (And What I Catch Every Time)

Because “I think it’s going okay” is not a financial strategy

Let’s be real: a lot of us only check our budgets when something breaks. The car. The fridge. Our self-control in a Target aisle.

That’s why I started doing a quarterly budget review. It’s like a dental cleaning — not something you’re excited about, but wildly necessary if you want to avoid a bigger mess later.

And every time I do it? I catch something dumb. A subscription I forgot. A goal I totally neglected. A category that got bloated like my inbox in December.

So if you’re the kind of person who lives in semi-organized chaos, this routine might just save your wallet — and your mental bandwidth.

Why quarterly works (and why monthly was a no-go)

I tried monthly budget reviews. I really did.

But I don’t live a monthly-shaped life. I get paid unevenly. Some months are calm, others feel like the Hunger Games: Finance Edition. Monthly was too frequent to feel meaningful, but too short to reveal real patterns.

Quarterly, though? That gives me enough distance to notice the drift — and enough time to fix it before it becomes a dumpster fire.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m too behind to fix it now,” this is your sign to try quarterly. Fresh start, but with data.

Step 1: Set the stage (and lower the bar)

You do not need a spreadsheet from heaven. You need 45 minutes, a notebook (or digital planner if you’re fancy), and a recent bank statement or two.

Bonus points if you schedule this like an actual appointment. I tie mine to the seasonal shift — new quarter, new chaos to wrangle.

Also: snacks help. So does your favorite drink. Turn it into a vibe, not a punishment.

Step 2: Start with the “High-Low-Whoa” method

This is my ADHD-friendly way to reflect without spiraling into shame or analysis paralysis.

High: What went surprisingly well this quarter?
Low: What flopped or stressed me out financially?
Whoa: What surprised me or slipped through the cracks?

You’ll be amazed how much you remember once you start writing. That concert ticket that was 3x the price you budgeted. The refund you forgot to deposit. The three months of Canva Pro you meant to cancel. (Yep, that one stung.)

Step 3: Scan for “budget drift”

Budget drift = when your spending slowly creeps out of sync with your original plan.

Maybe you budgeted $400/month for groceries and started spending $530. Or maybe you meant to save $200/month for car maintenance, but the last transfer was… oops, January?

Look for categories where:

You consistently overspent
You stopped tracking altogether
You forgot you had (until now)

This is where I always catch something. Last time it was a $12.99 digital subscription that quietly renewed in all three months. Past self, explain yourself.

Step 4: Do a goals gut-check

This part is humbling.

Pull up whatever goals you wrote at the beginning of the year (or quarter) and ask:

Did I make progress?
Did I totally forget this existed?
Do I still even want this goal?

And then — here’s the important bit — adjust the goals. Don’t cling to goals just because you wrote them down during a sugar high on New Year’s Eve.

Financial planning should flex with your life. If your goals need to pivot, that’s called wisdom, not failure.

Step 5: Calendar-match your finances

Just like in my Sunday Reset, your calendar is the secret sauce.

Look ahead 3 months:

Any big expenses coming? (vacations, school stuff, birthdays?)
Expected changes in income?
Known expenses that sneak up every year?

This is the part most people skip — and then wonder why their budget gets nuked in June because they forgot they signed up for two camps, a wedding gift, and a family reunion in the same month.

Even a 5-minute look at the calendar can save your entire quarter.

Step 6: Adjust your systems, not just your numbers

Don’t just change the amounts in each category. Ask if your actual system is working for how your brain works.

Questions to ask yourself:

Am I tracking expenses in a way I’ll actually keep up with?
Do I need to switch from digital to paper (or vice versa)?
Would a planner with envelopes or sticky-note dashboard make this easier?

Sometimes, fixing your finances isn’t about discipline — it’s about designing your system around your reality. If you constantly forget to update an app, maybe try a visual planner you can’t ignore.

Step 7: Pick 2–3 shifts (and write them down)

Don’t make 12 changes. You’ll do none of them.

Pick 2–3:

Cancel a subscription
Pause a sinking fund
Start a new savings tracker
Batch your monthly bills into one calendar day

Write it down. Set reminders. Leave yourself a sticky note on the fridge if you have to.

If you use a system like Notion, this is a great place to log your review and track your updates quarterly. Or keep it analog — there’s nothing wrong with a plain notebook and a pen that makes you feel powerful.

But what if I totally blew it this quarter?

Great news: that means this review is doing exactly what it’s supposed to.

You’re not here to congratulate yourself on a flawless performance. You’re here to see the truth so you can tweak your plan.

Most people never do this. They let guilt paralyze them. They stop looking at their finances and then spiral when things fall apart.

You? You looked. You made time. You made a plan.

That’s not failure — that’s progress.

Why this works (even if you’re inconsistent)

Quarterly reviews let you zoom out.

They show trends you’d miss in a week-to-week blur. They force you to check in with your actual goals — not just your bank balance.

And if you pair it with your weekly reset, you’re building a system that’s flexible, repeatable, and surprisingly ADHD-friendly.

The TL;DR Routine

High-Low-Whoa reflection
Look for budget drift
Revisit and revise your goals
Match your plan to your calendar
Tweak your system, not just your numbers
Pick 2–3 real shifts