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On paper it adds up.
All the bills, groceries, and money to boost up the savings account. Funds to pay more on debt.
Seems like there’s so much extra.
But then… the discipline to stick to the budget….
When everything feels like a need, I buy something not budgeted for and then the slippery slope begins.
Or when an unexpected expense pops up and throws off my to the penny, money needs to stretch until next Friday budget.
I dip into allocated funds for something else.
I feel I let my husband down when I have to tell him we have no money left and we’re still a week from another paycheck.
3 months until the next tuition payment lit a fire to figure out this whole money mess otherwise there’d be no food for groceries at the end of the month.
And no money for school.
2 requirements
A budget had to be simple. And there’s got to be an easy way to stay on track each month.
Over a couple of years, I struggled to figure out a workable budget and how to stick to it.
I realized there are two parts to a successful budget. The numbers and the mindset.
How to create a realistic budget
The bitter tears of frustration at the pile of crumpled receipts, how the bank balances didn’t match, all went away for good.
When I figured out how to set up a prioritized budget, a super easy, 95% of expenses are the same month to month budget.
Prioritized budget - where you list all your expenses in order of priority to be paid.
Put the four essentials, food, lights & water, housing, and transportation at the top of your budget.
Pay these first. Every month. Take care of your family’s basic needs before you spend any other money.
Then list all your other expenses and any extra uses for your money down the page.
7 Simple Steps to Make an Easy Monthly Budget shows you the MOST SUCCESSFUL way to set up a budget you can actually stick to. It works on ANY income and ENSURES there's always money for food and housing. Plus, it gives you a step by step plan to follow each month so you know which bills get paid first and how to successfully stick to your budget.
A joke
When I get super busy, barely any time to rest, and my budget gets shoved down so low on my to-do list it collects dust.
I have no idea how much income I have and where the dollars go.
Zero money put into saving, and often I have to dip into savings to cover what I overspent.
And my money stress goes through the roof.
In those busy seasons, where I fall off the budget wagon for a couple of months, it’s easy to get back in track with the prioritized budget.
How to stick to a budget. A couple tips.
- Earmark a certain amount money for the small unexpected expenses. I put aside $70 or less.
- Set aside 30 minutes a week, at least, to work on my budget so I can stay on track.
- Refocus my efforts on one money goal, the reason why I plan out my finances in the first place.
- Track my progress and look at it each day.
Set up a realistic, prioritized budget and use practical tips to stick to it - half the battle.
Related: Not sure what to put in each budget category? Find a baseline for what you spend to get a realistic number {free download}
If you don’t change your mindset, the practical tips won’t work.
Sweet friend, you’re not a failure, nor have you let anyone down. Money management is a skill none of us were born with, but it’s a skill we can all learn and improve.
Why do you need to improve your finances?
Are you paying off mountains of debt? Building up your savings to have money for emergencies and car repairs?
When you don’t aim towards a big, hairy goal to improve your family’s financial situation, there’s no reason to stick to a budget.
I wanted to see my husband walk across the stage without tens of thousands of dollars in debt behind him, my first reason to get a handle on my money.
Now, I’m saving up to buy another car, a Camry. For less than $5,000. In cash.
$325 for food? Well, let me see if I can spend $305. My competitiveness comes out when I have a money goal to work.
I want to put even more towards it at the end of the month when I close out my accounts.
Want motivation?
Color in your money goal progress.
You can see your debt dwindle or your savings grow as you color in the spaces. See how far you’ve come and the white space shows an end in sight.
I saved over $19,000 in one year and contributed my success to the motivation I gained when I colored in my progress.
Get your money goal tracking color pages here
You’re not stuck in in the same financial rut.
Gain motivation to pump up the intensity to reach the savings goal much faster. Or crush the debt into slivers.
Plan to spend money
A budget’s impossible to stick to when you reward yourself every few days, because you’ve tried so hard and you feel so deprived.
You’ll buy things from Amazon to treat yourself.
Makes you feel frustrated, guilty because now money’s even tighter and you let your family down. Again.
Instead, I set aside a small amount of treat yourself money each month to spend and enjoy on whatever you want, so you don’t derail your budget.
My money situation won’t change
Buried under a mountain of debt, with no savings, and more expenses than income. Valid fear, but it holds you back.
Doubt creeps in as you wonder if God will provide for you and how much more you can take.
So why bother?
Every single week, for the last 15 years, I’ve seen how God always provides exactly what I need.
Down to the number of hours I need to work to pay the bills.
He’s given me my income and wants me to be a wise steward of the money.
As I look for all the small ways He provides, the money to pay an unexpected bill or an unadvertised sale when I buy my groceries, thankfulness makes it much easier to stick to my budget.
One-two punch
- You must have a written prioritized budget. I walk you step by step how to set up an easy monthly budget with a solid framework you can stick to each month.
- Include your emotions and change your mindset. Trust God to take care of you.
Readers share powerful tips to stick to a budget
Shopping by myself always works best for me.
Claudia Lynette White
Creating small goals every month!
Elyse Lyons
Separating accounts from my dear husband, working 3 jobs, trying to curtail spending as much as possible, envelope system for the big things
Shar Perham
Have a goal! "saving money" is just not enough of an answer- However reaching this $$ to do this thing that I REALLY want! Well, that's a horse of a different color!
Amanda Baker-Lyons
Don't use a computer. Write it down the old fashioned way
Amanda Drake Harmon
Pay yourself first. When I was working, every raise I received was added to my savings.I lived off the same amount for 15 years.
Lisa Cole
Meal planning 🙂
Hazel Rose
Not shopping with my children...lol
April Longstreet Dinges
DOWNLOAD NOW Click here to download your baseline spending worksheet
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Hi! I’m Charissa. I’m on a mission to help hardworking women overcome money struggles and gain financial peace with a Biblical perspective so they can have the freedom to impact their families and communities. Ready to make some changes that will impact your finances in 2020? Click here to get a free worksheet to help you make it happen!
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