17 insanely amazing lessons you need to know about budgeting

I thought the same for a long time. I always had good intentions in place, but my careless spending habits betrayed me especially at the grocery store or buying gifts.

Extremely frustrated with myself for not sticking to the plan, stressed because now I had to juggle the numbers, and worried about running out of money before the next paycheck all heaped so much guilt, it was painful to even breathe.

The sick feeling of worry mixed with an overwhelming sense of failure would keep my mind racing late at night trying to figure out how to pay for everything I need. Feeling hopeless to change, I would continue to purchase what I thought I needed.

Uggg! This vicious cycle went on for years and still raises it's ugly head once in a while. In fact, two months ago, I overspent on presents on a whim, which definitely stole some of the joy of giving.

The heaviness of constantly overspending and not sticking to a budget, weighed down my spirit, causing me to stumble around before finally learning several amazing lessons about budgeting which helped me overcome the inability to stick to a budget.

I came to realize there were deeper issues behind overspending which contributed towards my passive rebellion against the budget. Emotional issues and deep seated beliefs had dulled my perspectives, causing me to focus on myself and how to satisfy my immediate wants.

There were lessons to be learned.

Success in budgeting comes when you start to discover your why for budgeting and as you begin to deal with the emotional root in your heart regarding spending and money.

These 17 insanely, amazing lessons about budgeting have changed, and are changing, my whole perspective about money and budgeting. If you are struggling with sticking to a budget, all the tips in the world won't help you start following a budget to the penny.

Start with some reflecting. Do you find you are being squelched by the following attitudes and beliefs? If you answer yes? Take courage and deal with each one. Your financial freedom... more importantly, your life hinges on moving past misplaced beliefs.

1. Your passion for future goals is stagnant

The dreams in your heart have been shoved into the back corner, beneath piles of duty and obligations, covered with thick, paralyzing dust.

2. Debt is holding you prisoner

When you have debt, you are over allocating your resources towards payments, leaving limited funds to pay for everything else. Yikes! The squeeze on your money becomes tighter the more debt you have and the longer you keep it around.

3. A budget is not the enemy

Blaming the budget for not ruling your life with an iron fist is ineffective at best. Your budget is an inanimate object incapable of forcing you to follow a plan for your money.

4. Inner voices have committed identity theft

Stinging thoughts of failure and bitter disappointment play reckless havoc on your perception of who you are as a person. You are not capable of winning and hopelessness have become the thoughts which are now your identity.

5. You are not a lone ship taking on water

Appearances are false. Your friends, neighbors, and family may very well be struggling or have struggled with financial woes in their own lives. A shiny car, large, beautiful house, and name brand clothes does not always indicate financial success.

6. Running the rat race is not permanent

You are not trapped in the place of working so hard only to see your hard-earned money leave to cover all of your obligations resulting in being strapped for cash at the end of the month.

7. Impressing others with your possessions is suffocating

The standard to impress is impossible to reach as the bar keeps moving higher and higher. If your friends don't like you for who you are and the valuable contribution you bring, but only like you because of what you have or drive, you might want to reconsider the meaning of "friends".

8. There is more contentment with less

If we are all being truly honest, stuff and things do not bring happiness. Worrying about paying the bill, trying to find a place for it, and keeping it clean & safe, clutter our minds stealing our productivity.

9. Loss of compound interest is real

Your future self will be clothed in regret and still trying to juggle money if you don't adjust your financial habits now. Your golden years are meant to be enjoyed, but you have to first be intentional in the years leading up to your retirement.

10. Your income earning potential is your greatest asset

Think about how much money has come through your hands in the last five years or 10. How much money will you earn over the span of your life? Where is all that money going?

11. Hopelessness is strangling you

You have lost the will to strive for a better life. There is no point in trying to change since you have always been this way and attempts to get better have always failed. Acceptance leads to apathy which causes your spirit to give up.

12. Perspective has zoomed in to only include the present moment

No longer do you remember how far you have come and your great accomplishments which have accompanied you to this place in your life. Nor do you have a clear vision for the future. Taken out of context, everything which is happening in your life now can be overwhelming.

13. Justification removes all personal responsibility

If you have to convince yourself of all the reasons why it was important to buy the latest treasure, you squelch the voice of reason and responsibility which tells you clearly this was an unnecessary purchase.

14. Denial feels easier than to face than reality

Acknowledging your decisions were key in how you have arrived at this place and how your finances look like now, would be too difficult and consume too much time to deal with. You couldn't continue to be the victim.

15. Satisfying your wants takes a higher priority than the needs of your family

Buying what you cannot afford because you want or deserve it now, and trying to figure out how to cut needed expenses at the end of the month is a scale tipped out of balance.

16. Overspending is an emotional struggle not a financial one

Stop justifying and making excuses, strong emotion affects every monetary transaction we make. Dealing with the emotional tendrils wrapped around buying (and overspending) will bring financial maturity.

17. Life has lost its luster

Boredom, apathy, feeling drained and tired of fighting multiply into a pervasive cloud which shadows your days. Life has lost its luster and every day is a replay of the days before.

17 insanely, amazing lessons about budgeting to learn and learn again. Overspending and not sticking to a budget is nothing more than a symptom alerting you to give your attention to the real problem

You will start to see true lasting change in your heart and spirit towards money and budgeting as you challenge the attitudes you hold, which are slowly sapping the life out of you.

After I started taking these 17 insanely, amazing lessons about budgeting to heart and confronting the erroneous beliefs which had taken root, I developed the ability to maintain a budget and gasp... even started to like the structure of having a plan for my money.

Has my mindset changed 100%? No, not yet, but there has been a definite shift in how I view money, which has caused a ripple effect throughout my entire life.

Valuable perspective has been gained which has made me passionate about life. The future is full of possibilities and the responsibility to bring them to pass. Contentment colors the satisfaction of providing well for my family now and later. Money decisions made now are intentionally laid as a foundation for coming years.

Dreams are starting to flourish again and inner voices are now a positive chorus cheering me on. Hope shows opportunities to infuse meaning and purpose into my life on a daily basis. Managing my income well changes me into a wise and generous person who is able to touch many lives.

There is far more at stake than simply making your spending equal the budget and I encourage you to start looking at the beliefs you hold about money, your future, and your life. Say yes to taking charge of your financial life in its entirety.

There is hope, you can have financial freedom.