Tip 1: Create a new budget each month.
(or if you're crazy like me, each paycheck)
In the past when I created a budget, it would never work. My numbers were always off. It seemed like every month I would have different expenses, which would ruin my whole budget. When I started reading Dave's books, he mentioned doing a new budget every month. DUH. Why didn't I think of that? It seems a little daunting at first, but after you get the hang of it, it's really easy and doesn't take too much time. Since each month is so different (trips, birthdays, special events, etc.) it is VERY important to sit down and think about these things. If you don't, your budget won't work. I get paid every other Friday, so I have found it's easiest to do a new budget for each paycheck. If you get paid on the same dates each month you could probably do just a budget for the whole month. But since my pay days vary, so does what bills land on each paycheck.
So, each Thursday before I get paid (or sometime before payday) I sit down a think about all of the expenses that paycheck. Do I have any out-of-the-ordinary things happening? What bills are due during this paycheck? Sometimes I will also write out the next paycheck after that to start planning how I will split the bills up.
It will take some time to get the kinks worked out. Nobody's budget is perfect on the first try. Mine isn't perfect and I've been doing it for a while now. The main thing to keep in mind is to just do a budget. Try it. And try again. You WILL get better.
Click here to find some budget form templates. Make it a goal this week to try a budget.
No comments:
Post a Comment