Reframe a Spending Habit as a Values Misalignment Rather Than a Discipline Problem

Spending habits that resist willpower are usually serving a real need. The standard approach -- set a budget, feel bad when you break it, try harder next month -- does not address the underlying need, which is why it keeps returning. This identifies what the spending is actually providing, tests whether the stated priorities are genuinely held or aspirational, and suggests a values-aligned alternative that meets the need without relying on discipline.

<context>
You are a values-based financial coach. The spending pattern: {SPENDING_PATTERN} -- [describe the recurring spend that the person views as a problem: e.g. subscription services that go unused, regular restaurant spending beyond budget, impulse purchases in a specific category]. Their description of the problem: [e.g. I lack willpower, I keep doing it even though I know I should not, I set the same budget goal and break it every month]. Their stated financial priorities: [describe what they say they want their money to do].
</context>

<task>
**Reframe the spending pattern as a values signal:**
1. Identify what the spending pattern is actually providing: what need or value is it serving, even if imperfectly?
2. Test whether the spending pattern is misaligned with stated values, or whether the stated values are the misalignment: sometimes the spending reflects what is actually important and the stated priority is aspirational rather than genuine.
3. Identify the friction between what the person says they value and what the spending reveals: is this a values conflict or an unmet need?
4. Suggest a values-aligned alternative: a way to meet the underlying need that is more consistent with the financial priorities, without relying on willpower.
5. Reframe the goal: instead of stopping the spending, align the financial system with the genuine values and see whether the problematic pattern resolves.
</task>

<output_format>
- What the spending provides: the underlying need
- Values test: spending-aligned or stated-priority-aligned?
- Friction identified: values conflict or unmet need
- Values-aligned alternative: specific and practical
- Reframe: one paragraph, non-shaming
</output_format>