How to Build Your Weed Budget

Life is expensive. The cost of living is up and the bills don’t stop rolling in. Building a budget can help you take control over your finances and give you a better idea of where your money is going. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who use cannabis regularly, that budget surely includes a category for weed. Feel daunting? Don’t worry. Here’s how to build your weed budget successfully.

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Look at Your Income

I recommend you start with the one thing that I hate the most as a freelancer: looking at your income. While not a fun task, this will give you a clear picture of where you’re starting from.

If you’re always paid the same consistent rate, make note of how often your paycheck comes in. If you are self-employed or do gig work, take the last three to six months of income and calculate a monthly average.

Look At Your Last Few Months of Weed Purchases

To continue the whole “getting a clear picture” thing, you’ll need to do another fun task: look at your weed purchases for the last few months. Write down how often you stocked up and how much you spent on each purchase. At minimum, check out your last three to six months of purchases to evaluate your spending habits.

Track Your Other Expenses

Isn’t this fun? Now you get to see how much money you spend on bills and how quickly that once-a-week food delivery really adds up.

Start by looking at the non-negotiables with fixed prices: rent/mortgage payments, utilities, phone bills, etc. Add all of these together and subtract them from your monthly income.

Now, look at the other categories. Some are more necessary than others, like groceries and household items. Include how much you spend on eating out, entertainment, clothing, etc. Don’t judge yourself here. Just write it down. Then subtract it from your monthly income.

Finally, look at your debts. Write down how much you spend each month on these payments. Then subtract from your monthly income.

Your final number after you’ve subtracted all of the above expenses from your monthly income reflects how much money you have left to spend on miscellaneous purchases, including weed.

Is this number higher or lower than your average monthly weed purchases? If it’s higher, sweet. If it’s lower, that’s okay. That’s why you make a budget.

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How Important Is Weed In Your Lifestyle?

Don’t worry, I’m not about to suggest you stop using weed to save money. But I am suggesting you look at where it falls in your daily/weeky/monthly necessities.

If you’re a medical patient or someone who uses cannabis for its therapeutic effects, weed is probably a pretty important part of your monthly budget. You can categorize it with other important purchases like groceries.

If weed is more of a recreational activity, it’s still worth budgeting for. But you might put it in another category, like entertainment, dining out, or going to the bar. (Side note: Alcohol is also expensive. Science says weed might help you drink less. Do what you will with that information.)

Is Your Weed Spending Sustainable?

Now you have a more clear picture of where your money goes each month. Even if you’re not spending more than you make each month, your weed spending may not be sustainable. Especially if you’re trying to prioritize building up your savings or just saving money in general.

Of course, whether your spending is sustainable or not is down to your discretion. If you just did all of the calculations and realized your weed purchases are a negligible part of your monthly spending, more power to you. But if you’ve read this far, I’m guessing you’re probably looking for ways to save money without sacrificing your weed habit.

Budget-Friendly Weed Purchasing Tips

I’m just going to get this first tip out of the way right now: use less weed. It’s not a fun tip, but it’s practical. If you find that you’re spending an excessive amount on weed, you might just be using an excessive amount. You don’t have to stop using cannabis entirely, but consider cutting back your use where you can. Do you normally smoke yourself to oblivion before bed? Can you cut that down to almost-oblivion? If you start your day with a wake and bake, can the ritual wait until the afternoon?

Buy in bulk: If you find yourself buying an eighth of weed every week (which is half an ounce), you might find that purchasing a half-ounce at one time can cut down on costs. Sure, you need to store and keep the weed fresh for longer, but it’s worth it for the savings. In general, you save money when you buy in bulk.

Switch from smoking to dry herb vaping: Dry herb vaporizers use combustion to heat up flower and produce an inhalable vapor. This keeps most of the plant’s intoxicating compounds in place. In contrast, smoke creates combustion and burns up a lot of the plant’s compounds. You might find that dry herb vaping allows you to get the same effects while using less weed, because it wastes less product.

Keep a close eye on deals and discounts: Whether you shop at a local dispensary or buy THCa flower online, there’s a good chance your preferred retailer offers deals. Many dispensaries will have different deals for different days of the week. You can easily cut your weed spending significantly each month by simply shopping only on sales days.

Cut back on the generosity: If you find yourself always bringing weed to share at the function, you’re doing your budget a disservice. It’s nice to share once in a while, but if you’re always the one giving, it might be time to cut back on the “sharing is caring” philosophy. Let someone else contribute. Or better yet, show up to the function already high.