How to Make a Budget in a Budget-less World

Hello, and welcome to my shoes. today I wanted to talk about something that seems to have been for gotten about. How to make a budget. A great tool and skill that helps me everyday as I tackle life’s challenges.

When thinking of a persons finances, the only way I can describe them is a revolving door. Money comes in and then just as fast, it leaves again. It is a never ending cycle that seems to only ever cause anxiety. But why does it have to be that way? What if we decided we wanted to change things? How would we do that? The answer is a lot simpler than you would think.

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What Exactly is a Budget?

A budget is a DIY tool that helps you understand your money. This is something that has helped me greatly as I’ve begun swimming my way through adulthood. In my opinion, this is one of the best ways to begin understanding adulthood, and to start getting your feet under you.

Budgeting is a way to see where your money is going, and exactly how much is going in and out of your wallet everyday. Having a budget has helped me to have more confidence in spending or saving my money and it helps me have peace of mind regarding these paper and metal things that seem to control our lives.

Why Would you Need a Budget?

As mentioned before, a budget gives me clarity, and peace of mind. However, there is an even greater advantage in having one. By having a budget, I can plan.

Now I know I’ve said before that plans are almost always broken, but, this is a different kind of plan. With budgeting, it’s like having a contingency plan. You have certain amounts saved or put aside so that you can make sure the bills are paid, and you can build up your savings for larger ticket items. I am so happy I made a budget because I don’t need to question anymore if I can afford to get that new book or get a new outfit.

How do you Make a Budget?

To many people, the term budget is restricting and painful. Well, they are a bit restricting, but if you make one right they aren’t painful at all! To me, budgeting is a bit like a safety net. And if you allow it to catch you it can stop you from a painful fall. So how does one make a budget? These are the steps I use.

• Calculate how much money you (or your family in some cases) are bringing in each month.
• Make a list of things that need to get paid for each month and a list of things that you enjoy buying on a regular basis (i.e. Starbucks, Netflix, Dinner out of the house, etc.).
• Look at the money you are bringing in, and take away all of the money needed to pay your essential bills, and whatever is left over can go towards the wants that you buy or into your savings. (You can make a savings section of your budget if you’re wanting to build up a nice nest egg or just want more wiggle room.)

Now you can organize your budget on a spreadsheet, or just write it down in a trusty notebook. Don’t forget to personalize it!

For those interested, I have created my ultimate budget template to help you create a budget. Please subscribe, and I can send it right to you.

Sticking to your Budget.

If you have created a budget, don’t just put it on your desk and let dust build a civilization on it. Use it! It may be difficult at times and things may come up. But this is why we’ve made a plan for it. Your savings are in place to help you out, and you have things plainly written down so there are excuses!

It is also important to put your budget somewhere you can see it. It’s basically a monetary goal. Put it on your desktop. Hang it on the wall. Tape it on the ceiling above your pillow! That last one only really works if you have a loft bed, but do whatever you have to do to stick to your budget! Trust me, your wallet will thank you later.

That’s it!

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Making a budget can be just as fun and rewarding as making goals. Click Here to read my post on setting goals and sticking to them. Thank you gain for reading this post. I post every other week so please subscribe so you don’t miss anything as I explore the world one step at a time!