About budgeting

I think for most people budgeting feels hard because it feels absolute. But budgeting is actually a series of trade-offs and learning to be conscious of that decision making. I think the second overwhelming thought for people is it’s so time consuming. But with the right tools there’s no reason for it to take more than 30 minutes once a month! 

Sometimes in life, you just can’t have your cake and eat it too. And that’s okay! During those times you have to figure out what’s going to make you happiest when you have to give other things up. And because everyone’s different there’s no single expense to just start slashing away. What’s more important to you could be way less important to someone else. 

Let’s take some examples. Someone who is fashion forward might consider clothing and accessories a high priority. In which case, deciding on cutting back on another expense, like eating out at restaurants and opting to instead make their own meals, can be a quick way to cut costs and still have some money to splurge on what they love most. They might also decide to look for items in places they wouldn’t otherwise consider, like an estate sale to find vintage items or a thrift shop. They might also decide to wait for holidays to increase their buying power when they do shop.  

The goal of a budget is not to punish yourself. The goal is to pay the things you are required to pay and then still have enough to save for rainy days and to enjoy the here and now. With a little management, there’s no reason you can’t do it all. Read my next post, How to Budget, to find ways to make budgeting from long and arduous to stupidly simple!