Say budget in a small gathering of your friends and you’ll likely hear a bunch of groans and sighs.
The word itself is likely to stop any party dead and most of us find it pretty dang boring to think of setting up a budget.
Why oh why should we be expected to control and keep track of our money if our government can’t seem to do it?
What if our neighbor seems to be really happy living a million dollar lifestyle on a $100,000.00 a year salary?
It’ll catch up. I warn you, living beyond your means – or even living within your means but not saving for the future, will have consequences later.
You’ll feel it when your car goes out and you have to ride the bus to work.
You’ll have wished you had a budgeted column for vacations when your best friend wants to go to the beach in February and you have to say no.
You’ll be sad when your daughter looks up with her big brown eyes and begs for dance or singing lessons.
It’ll catch up with you, I promise. You’ll want to budget. Start now.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to scrimp and save every penny – although it could if that’s your style, – rather it means:
Controlling your money so it doesn’t control you.
What a concept. I love it. My money works for me. I tell it what to do and when to do it so that it is for my best benefit. – Not for the benefit of the credit card companies, my mortgage company or my bank.
So as you can tell I love budgeting, but some of you (if you are still reading) are squirming in your seats, so I have another idea. Lets just call it something else.
What if we called the process of keeping track of your money and telling it where to go:
Spending your money…..
instead of budgeting.
There, that doesn’t sound so bad does it? Just decide how you are going to spend your money – and you’ve got yourself a budget!
The key world is decide. Stick to it. Don’t change your mind. Have $200.00 for groceries this month? Make it stretch. Have you decided to buy your favorite CD this month? Great, don’t impulse buy three others while you are at it.
One symptom of growing up and being responsible is that now you have to be responsible. That might mean being a bit patient with yourself.
Sorry if this is a bummer to you – that you are facing up to the fact you might need a budget. Tomorrow I’ll write more about luxury living on a (dare I say it?) …
Budget!
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