Who needs a budget?’ I used to think this, so I’m guessing there’s lots of people out there who think the same. I mean, you’re young, you’re working, you like to go out and have fun and you’re doing OK. So who needs to worry about budgeting, savings plans and a secure financial future? There’s plenty of time to get into that later on, right?
Well, actually, no! That’s not a good line of thinking at all, as I discovered the hard way. I managed to rack up over $20,000 of credit card and personal debt by the time I was 23 and this affected my ability to keeo my first house. How I wish I had followed all the advice I happily ignored when I finished college and started work.
The thing is, not having a budget is rather like not having a map when you set out on a road trip. You know where you want to end up but don’t know exactly how to get there; you miss all the best sights and waste a lot of time and money. A budget tells you how much you can spend in the different areas of your life, what you can really afford to buy, and where you are wasting your hard-earned dollars while helping you get you to where you want to be.
Financial experts claim that the rise in personal bankruptcies can be clearly attributed to so many people living without a budget. We live in a consumer-driven society and too many people impulse-buy, often things they don’t really need. How often do you hear people say “I don’t know where my money goes”? If they had a budget, they would know the answer to this, right down to the last cent.
Avoiding The Issue
So, why do we avoid the whole budget issue? If we know it’s in our best interest to have a budget, why are we generally so reluctant to create one? There are several reasons, according to a recent survey. Many people just don’t see that they need a budget; others think it’s all too hard or don’t know how to go about it; some don’t want to restrict their spending while many think it doesn’t apply to them because they are young and just starting out.
Making Excuses
I used several of these excuses over the years. I created budgets; several times, in fact. I sort of understood that it was an important thing to do but I could never get them to balance! I’d spend hours listing my income and bills and spending and then when I added everything up, there was never enough money to cover my expenditure. I reached the conclusion that budgets weren’t for me and continued spending money I didn’t have, courtesy of several credit card companies. What I didn’t realize was that my non-balancing budgets meant that I was spending more than I earned and had to find ways to curb my spending if I was to avoid financial disaster.
Spending More Than You Earn
You’ve probably also heard that creating your own personal budget is an essential step to living within your means. But what does that really mean? Basically, it means you cannot spend more than you earn; the total amount of money that comes out of your bank account must be less than the amount that goes in.
Unfortunately, easy access to credit or same day loans for everyone has made this a difficult concept. You’re certainly not alone if you are wondering how you are going to get out from under a mountain of personal debt. If this sounds like you, it’s time to take action before things get worse. Making change is never easy but really, once you make the decision to become more financially responsible, it’s not that hard. It takes some discipline and commitment, but come on, if I can do it, so can you! Here are the steps:
Set a Budget
A personal budget is the most important step in getting your finances under control but you must be prepared to follow up on what you discover when you first draw one up. This doesn’t have to be a difficult exercise either – simply list your income on one page and all your expenses, bills, repayments and spending on another. It’s really important to leave nothing out of your list of expenditure; don’t shoot yourself in the foot by cheating at this early stage in the process. Be prepared to get a shock at how much you actually spend in some areas; these will probably be where you’ll be able to cut spending easily.
Find Where You Are Spending Too Much
When you’ve added up all your expenditure, subtract the total from your income total. Do you have a negative figure? That means you are living beyond your means and have to find ways to reduce spending. Some expenses can’t be changed; these are called fixed expenses and include things like loan and debt repayments, utility bills and insurances. Fall behind in these and you’re really in trouble. It’s the variable expenses you need to reduce or eliminate; it’s all about managing your available funds better. This is easier if you shave smaller amounts off several areas; this causes less pain than making big drops in spending in one area. You’re more likely to stick to a budget that has small changes.
Psychologists tell us that we can be happier if we stop cramming our lives with all the stuff we buy. Your life will certainly be less stressful when you have your finances under control by having a workable personal budget.
So, do you have a budget? What got you started and what adjustments did you have to make?
I don’t really have a monthly or weekly budget. I know what comes in and what I can afford. Once every few months I review my bills and try to cut them. I often compare this to people who are able to eat what they want and stay slim, while the rest of us need to control what we eat and still have a few extra pounds. But budgets somehow come naturally.
As long as you are aware of what you can afford and what your balances are, then you are fine. It is when you don’t that problems start. Great analogy on eating.
To me, having a budget is my connection to reality. I used to *think* was doing well keeping my spending under control….but now that I use a zero sum budget I actually know how it’s turning out.
When we started using a budget is really when our finances began to fall into place.
I found the same thing. Once I started planning and tracking my financial picture looked brighter and brighter. Those adjustments can make all the difference sometimes.
Watching your cashflow is really the most important thing. You need to know what expenses you have and how much money you have. If you keep track of this you will do just fine.
I do have a budget. I kept money in the categories that were important to me and cut the others back as much as I could. I highly value savings so those are some of my larger budget categories!
We have done the same thing. For stuff we can’t live without or don’t want to live without we put money aside, and for the things we can cut out, we have. It has worked really well.
Great analogy with the road map! We have a budget as well and it can be so helpful. It’s great to be able to see where our money is going and makes financial decisions so much easier.
I agree. I’m pro budget. It is easy to not realize where you are financially and assume the best or worst. Having data empowers you. Having a plan empowers you. That’s why a budget is so great.
Well said. Knowledge is power. I know for myself I like knowing what is going on with my money. I like how I can keep track and then review trends over time. I am such a geek.
I think the rule of not spending more than you make is golden, and should be followed first and foremost. Of course, without a budget then I guess people wouldn’t know that.
““I don’t know where my money goes”? If they had a budget, they would know the answer to this”” That’s an excellent point that I never thought of, lol. People would never say that if they tracked expenses, etc!
It’s true. I used to sped more than I earned and I saw what happened. I don’t want anyone else to have to learn that same hard lesson. Your budget is just like your weight. Watching it keeps you on track.
While budgets are great and hold you accountable I think as long as you are making more than you spend each month you dont exactly “need” to have a budget. Now if there is only a few hundred dollars buffer then it is much more important
I would still disagree. Even if you make more than you are spending, tracking things can still help you stretch your dollars. If you track what you spend on certain items, you can see where you might want to shift spending.
I create a budget every two weeks and zero it out. This helps me stay on track a lot better. I used to think that budgets were not for me until I realized I wasn’t getting ahead in life and was falling further and further into debt. Not being able to buy groceries because I bought something that wasn’t needed was a huge wake up call (even though I wish it had come a lot sooner) and the fact that when saving for a car it took forever-because we kept spending the money.
I had those moments too. I actually used to put coins in ATM”s. How bad is that?
A budget is definitely good at keeping you on track and making sure you don’t go into debt. Isn’t life so much better for you now.? I know mine is. I never stress about money anymore.
I’m anti-budget in the traditional sense. That said, credit cards act as a budget because last month’s expenses get paid this month, and I track goals. So income comes in, rent, retirement, car payment student loans go out and with the remainder, I pay last month’s credit card bill in full.
Doesn’t sound like you are doing any savings apart from retirement Kathleen. That could be dangerous. I still think it would be good for you to track what you have to spend on things to see if you can make any adjustments.
Yeah, I lived without for a long time; then trouble came and I had to change my ways. Still prefer to talk about bydgeting, though – more dynamic and can grow with you. Now I am a firm believer in knowing exactly what I earn, spend and put aside – so empowering.
Isn’t it. I know I have felt super empowered now that I feel under control. I love being able to see where my money goes and make adjustments. It feels great. I am glad we both turned things around.
I do very well without a formal budget, but don’t follow me. I have had years of practice and understand the pitfalls. First, I put my financial goal on auto pilot by setting up a payroll deduction. I live on what is left and I do not spend all of that. I watch my expenses every month and control what I spend. I constantly try to lower my expenses every time I pay a bill.
Good for you Krant. I don’t think many people could do as good as you have without writing out a budget. I am glad you have done so well though. Thanks for setting such a great example of spending less than you earn.
Great points, it’s so easy to create a budget these days too! I use Mint to track my expenses and log all my transactions. I know my income is x, I know my expenses are y and x – y = how much i save every month. Keep it simple 🙂
We use Quicken and get the same benefits as you would with Mint. I love being able to see how much we spend on X and then discuss it. It is good to keep it simple. The more complicated we make it the harder it is going to be to stay on track.
I find that once you have been actively maintaining a budget for a couple of months it becomes second nature to you and you almost don’t need to keep records.
But as I have found out, it’s a trap! The minute you stop maintaining your budget you start to leak money. It’s normally slowly at first but before you know it, BAM, you are wasting money all over the place!
It’s true. It really is like any other healthy habit. I like to think of like exercising. If you keep it up you can do well and you get in a routine but when you start to slack off you notice the impacts.
I have a budget to keep me on track with my longterm financial goals. My budget is the monthly status update to ensure my project and ultimately my portfolio is on track. I look it as financial project management.
Who needs a budget?’ I used to think this, so I’m guessing there’s lots of people out there who think the same. I mean, you’re young, you’re working, you like to go out and have fun and you’re doing OK. So who needs to worry about budgeting, savings plans and a secure financial future? There’s plenty of time to get into that later on, right?
I don’t really have a monthly or weekly budget. I know what comes in and what I can afford. Once every few months I review my bills and try to cut them. I often compare this to people who are able to eat what they want and stay slim, while the rest of us need to control what we eat and still have a few extra pounds. But budgets somehow come naturally.
As long as you are aware of what you can afford and what your balances are, then you are fine. It is when you don’t that problems start. Great analogy on eating.
To me, having a budget is my connection to reality. I used to *think* was doing well keeping my spending under control….but now that I use a zero sum budget I actually know how it’s turning out.
When we started using a budget is really when our finances began to fall into place.
I found the same thing. Once I started planning and tracking my financial picture looked brighter and brighter. Those adjustments can make all the difference sometimes.
We have a budget, but we don’t keep track of it entirely. I mainly watch our cash flow and go from there.
Watching your cashflow is really the most important thing. You need to know what expenses you have and how much money you have. If you keep track of this you will do just fine.
I do have a budget. I kept money in the categories that were important to me and cut the others back as much as I could. I highly value savings so those are some of my larger budget categories!
We have done the same thing. For stuff we can’t live without or don’t want to live without we put money aside, and for the things we can cut out, we have. It has worked really well.
Great analogy with the road map! We have a budget as well and it can be so helpful. It’s great to be able to see where our money is going and makes financial decisions so much easier.
I can say that now too now that I have a budget. Things are much better and I am use my money much wiser.
I agree. I’m pro budget. It is easy to not realize where you are financially and assume the best or worst. Having data empowers you. Having a plan empowers you. That’s why a budget is so great.
Well said. Knowledge is power. I know for myself I like knowing what is going on with my money. I like how I can keep track and then review trends over time. I am such a geek.
I think the rule of not spending more than you make is golden, and should be followed first and foremost. Of course, without a budget then I guess people wouldn’t know that.
““I don’t know where my money goes”? If they had a budget, they would know the answer to this”” That’s an excellent point that I never thought of, lol. People would never say that if they tracked expenses, etc!
It’s true. I used to sped more than I earned and I saw what happened. I don’t want anyone else to have to learn that same hard lesson. Your budget is just like your weight. Watching it keeps you on track.
While budgets are great and hold you accountable I think as long as you are making more than you spend each month you dont exactly “need” to have a budget. Now if there is only a few hundred dollars buffer then it is much more important
I would still disagree. Even if you make more than you are spending, tracking things can still help you stretch your dollars. If you track what you spend on certain items, you can see where you might want to shift spending.
I create a budget every two weeks and zero it out. This helps me stay on track a lot better. I used to think that budgets were not for me until I realized I wasn’t getting ahead in life and was falling further and further into debt. Not being able to buy groceries because I bought something that wasn’t needed was a huge wake up call (even though I wish it had come a lot sooner) and the fact that when saving for a car it took forever-because we kept spending the money.
I had those moments too. I actually used to put coins in ATM”s. How bad is that?
A budget is definitely good at keeping you on track and making sure you don’t go into debt. Isn’t life so much better for you now.? I know mine is. I never stress about money anymore.
I’m anti-budget in the traditional sense. That said, credit cards act as a budget because last month’s expenses get paid this month, and I track goals. So income comes in, rent, retirement, car payment student loans go out and with the remainder, I pay last month’s credit card bill in full.
Doesn’t sound like you are doing any savings apart from retirement Kathleen. That could be dangerous. I still think it would be good for you to track what you have to spend on things to see if you can make any adjustments.
Yeah, I lived without for a long time; then trouble came and I had to change my ways. Still prefer to talk about bydgeting, though – more dynamic and can grow with you. Now I am a firm believer in knowing exactly what I earn, spend and put aside – so empowering.
Isn’t it. I know I have felt super empowered now that I feel under control. I love being able to see where my money goes and make adjustments. It feels great. I am glad we both turned things around.
I do very well without a formal budget, but don’t follow me. I have had years of practice and understand the pitfalls. First, I put my financial goal on auto pilot by setting up a payroll deduction. I live on what is left and I do not spend all of that. I watch my expenses every month and control what I spend. I constantly try to lower my expenses every time I pay a bill.
I pretty much do what krantcents said — basically automating the entire budget and having our “spending money” be what’s left in the account.
Good for you Krant. I don’t think many people could do as good as you have without writing out a budget. I am glad you have done so well though. Thanks for setting such a great example of spending less than you earn.
Great points, it’s so easy to create a budget these days too! I use Mint to track my expenses and log all my transactions. I know my income is x, I know my expenses are y and x – y = how much i save every month. Keep it simple 🙂
We use Quicken and get the same benefits as you would with Mint. I love being able to see how much we spend on X and then discuss it. It is good to keep it simple. The more complicated we make it the harder it is going to be to stay on track.
I find that once you have been actively maintaining a budget for a couple of months it becomes second nature to you and you almost don’t need to keep records.
But as I have found out, it’s a trap! The minute you stop maintaining your budget you start to leak money. It’s normally slowly at first but before you know it, BAM, you are wasting money all over the place!
It’s true. It really is like any other healthy habit. I like to think of like exercising. If you keep it up you can do well and you get in a routine but when you start to slack off you notice the impacts.
I have a budget to keep me on track with my longterm financial goals. My budget is the monthly status update to ensure my project and ultimately my portfolio is on track. I look it as financial project management.