Companies can die without it, it can cause the death of a marriage, in its absence it will always cause stress but its presence doesn’t always bring peace, what is it?
It’s a budget. Budgeting is one of the most difficult things to do, it can bring much strife into a household. But a good working budget is definitely something that can bring a lifetime of peace.
As you have realized, if you have read my other posts or my About Me section, I am single. So I am not here to try to tell you how to work this out as a couple, but I do know that if you don’t work it out together it won’t work. So please, figure out what works best for the two of you, what areas you each need to compromise to meet your financial goals together as a team.
Creating a budget is the first and hardest step. One of the most important things is to find what works for you. What motivates you to do something you do not like to do? What style of managing things helps you the most?
For me its media. I have a smart phone and I use it constantly. I have said many times “there is an app for everything” and I truly believe that. I also have no short term memory and can plan to do something when I pick up my keys but have forgotten in the time it takes to walk to my car. So anything media driven and immediate works best for me. This means that an app is my best budgeting tool. I can follow where I am at, see it wherever I am at, and update it instantly.
I use Ace Budget, which is not a free app but there is a lite version. Whatever budget style you use I suggest remembering that nothing is set in stone. Once you create your budget be willing to play with it and change it. Make it based on now, and adjust it as necessary (i.e. changes is utility bills throughout the seasons, Christmas shopping, etc.).
I am not here to tell you how to create a budget. A simple search will give you all the tools you need to budget. Here is one good wordpress post on How To Create A Budget to help you get started. But keep in mind that a budget is always changing. And, especially in the beginning, needs a lot of changing and adjusting to get it to fit your needs. But once you get this in place you do build momentum. You can even start to enjoy it as you see how you can save money by spending less in certain categories, and as you start to reach your short term goals you will build even more momentum.
So it is difficult, but budgeting has great rewards in store!
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