Everyone has their own personal baggage when it comes to creating a budget, and believe it or not, the fact that you opened an article about tips for budgeting means that you are already one step ahead! The term “budget” is off-putting for people who thrive in a consumeristic society, and perhaps it’s just because the word itself is loaded and has many meanings for everyone.
For some, a budget is restrictive and limits the realm of possibilities for oneself. For others, a budget seems to be overbearing and an object of obsession and potential failure.
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What if we could shift our mindset regarding the way we choose to delegate our family’s money? Everyone has heard their fair share of tips for budgeting, but if we could focus on the fact that a budget is a tool through which we control our family’s security and well-being, and each purchase is a choice that we make, then we can take ownership of our situation and even create a more promising outlook on our future.
5 tips for budgeting to help you take control of your finances
Realize That Each Purchase You Make Is A Choice
Choice is a powerful factor in our lives. In fact, some studies show that the average adult makes about 35,000 choices per day. If just a few of those choices involve making purchases, then that number may grow when you decide whether to put that $3 into your savings account or purchase that cup of coffee at the beginning of your grocery run. Each purchase you make is a choice.
Create A Game Plan
A budget can be an intimidating thing. Often times it seems that this piece of paper with numbers written all over it is controlling our lives and keeping us in a box. One of the best tips for budgeting is to remember this: your budget is your game plan. Your budget is a reflection of how you are choosing to use your money as a tool. It is not restrictive, but when it is used properly, it is a form of ownership not only over your money but also over your mental state.
Accountability Is Key
If you are a single person, then now is a great time to take a look around and find the most adult person in your life and ask them for a favor. If you are in a relationship and you are working this budget as a team with one common goal, this is a great time to lean on each other. Ask for an accountability partner. If you are struggling to control spending, lean on someone you can trust to help you out. Tips for budgeting are often blended with tools for partnership and leadership, and it is important to realize that each member of this common goal (budget) is someone to be trusted and help to lead lovingly.
Harry S. Truman once said that “It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
Start Small
Deciding how you are going to spend your hard-earned resources can seem daunting, especially in a consumer-driven economy. If you are nervous about setting a goal, then start small! Do you need a new dishwasher but your pocketbook is coming up short? Instead of putting it on credit and paying interest rates, try washing your dishes by hand for a couple of months while you strategize. Create a budget. Remember, your budget is the game plan for achieving your purchasing or saving goals! There are dozens of free tools online that offer tips for budgeting, as well as tools for creating your game plan to help achieve what you need or want.
Pay Off Debt, And Don’t Be Afraid Of Cutting Things Out
If you are debt-free, then you are already one step ahead! However, more young adults are graduating from college with tens of thousands of dollars of student debt, and our economy is suffering for it. There are many different ways of paying off debt that are made available to us via the internet, but one of the most effective and popular methods is the Dave Ramsey Snowball Method. Simply put, this method organizes debt repayment from smallest to largest and will help create your plan to stick with it. When your debt is all laid out in front of you, it takes your breath away and not in a good way. You can start by using one of the available debt snowball spreadsheets. It is important to remember that this is the very beginning of your plan and that once you make the choice to use these tools, you will be able to cut that number down to $0.
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During your planning, you may find yourself overwhelmed at the thought of devoting your resources to such a large portion of your budget. Repaying debt and building up savings is slow work. In a world that never stops moving, the slowness of this work is uncomfortable and frustrating, but it provides a stillness and quiet that is perfect for contemplation. This is a great opportunity to discover the true “wants” and “needs” of your life. As previously mentioned, every single cent that you spend is a choice that only you can make, so the beauty of these tips for budgeting is that it all boils down to what your choices will be.
It is a widely-known ism that “money makes the world go ’round’, but I’m pretty sure that’s just residual momentum from the Big Bang or something. Once you use your power to choose what you want for your life, or your family’s life, then money becomes a tool by which those goals can be achieved. These tips for budgeting are only tips that you can choose to follow or not, but it all lies in the power of choice. Once you make the choice, then the future is opened to bright and endless possibilities!
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