I think I can speak for myself and a few others when I say – though possible af, budgeting isn’t always the easiest. Sometimes a guidebook or budgeting for dummies is needed. It’s something that takes discipline, determination, and the ability to visualize a goal not actualized yet. AND hold on to it. Not without the flashy pretty things in life tempting you every step of the way, of course. They then practically scream or in my case quietly chant, “Buy me. Buy me. You need me.” LOL.
So in today’s post, if you haven’t guessed yet. I want to talk about budgeting with you guys. I want to break down budgeting in a way that’s simple and easy to accomplish because honestly. Budgeting isn’t rocket science. All it takes is a little bit of self-discipline, determination, and visualization. Remember?
#1 Identify what you want
The first thing everyone should be aware of when beginning the steps to budgeting is what your goal is. What do you hope to gain from budgeting?
Is it a car?
Maybe a house?
A really nice purse?
A trip? Traveling ain’t cheap y’all.
Overall financial flexibility? & stability?
Whatever it is, identify it before putting money away blindly. Doing so will make the idea of budgeting worthwhile in the long run.
#2 Make a spreadsheet or list of your expenses/revenue
The only proper way to budget is if you analyze what’s causing you to lose money and what’s bringing it in. It may be daunting at first (especially when analyzing the expense part of the list). But that’s the point! It’s supposed to be.
#3 Identify your biggest money wasters and cut down on those first.
It’s vital that your biggest money wasters be the ones that take the greatest cuts. Ask yourself, “why are they big money wasters?”
They are the primary culprits standing in the way of whatever you hope to attain. So it’s time to start making some tough decisions. Instead of going out to eat 4x a week, you could cut it down to 1. Or rather than filling up your gas tank every couple of days, start managing your tank responsibly. The trip to your friends house half way across town every few days may not be as necessary as you think. Chill out.
#4 Make close family/friends aware that you’re on a budget
I’ve found that this is so helpful where budgeting is concerned. We can’t always be our own moral compass when it comes to money lol. Sad, but the truth nonetheless. It doesn’t hurt to have others in our life who love us and want the best for us. By them being in that role, they can help keep us accountable. You’d be surprised how often my BFF Kim keeps me in check lmao. Much to my annoyance, but mostly to my benefit lol.
#5 Reward yourself… once in a while.
I don’t believe that being overly strict with yourself when it comes to budgeting is always as beneficial as many are made to believe. Sometimes it’s okay to give yourself a pat on the back when you’ve done consistently well. That can look like treating yourself to eating out one more time than usual. Or having at something that you have cut down on tremendously once that week. A little reward never hurt anybody… trust me.
After reading all of my tips about budgeting, any thoughts?
These tips have made a world of difference for me, and I hope they do the same for you.
Happy budgeting babes,
Thelms
friendly reminder, new blog posts on With Love, Thelms every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for you babes’ viewing pleasure
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