Guest post from Kelly of Kelly Cox At Home:
Have you ever felt tired (exhausted?!) with your budgeting efforts? Me too!
Have you ever had an absolute "Budget Meltdown?" Sigh…yeah, me too.
However, I want to remind you that budgets ROCK and are your friend! A budget is simply a written plan to will help you achieve your financial goals and to be a good steward of your family's resources. Don't throw in the towel on budgeting too soon!
Here are a few tips to help anticipate, and perhaps conquer, that occasional "budget meltdown" before it derails your efforts.
Have Accountability
Budgeting can be tedious… and a little accountability goes a long way.
Find someone to help talk and pray you through your budget journey. If you are married, then try to budget as a couple. If you are not married then consider a family member or friend to help you be accountable for your decisions.
No need to share all your financial information but rather, just have someone to chat with if you begin to waiver. We all need encouragement, and accountability will help us stick to our budget.
Set Attainable Goals
Set goals that stretch you but are still attainable.
If your goal is not reasonable, you'll often feel disheartened or overwhelmed. Personally, my husband and I need a clearly-defined goal with a potential date or timeframe to work toward. Our budget gives us vision and sets expectations.
For example, we are in the process of adopting a baby (YAY!) and plan to do this debt free. While this is a lofty goal, we have a clear, written plan to pull this off (with the Lord's help)!
Set goals that are reachable and then celebrate as you pull them off.
Tackle Debt
Debt is restrictive and can be difficult to conquer; however, a budget helps you to both plan and then track your success.
According to Dave Ramsey, a budget tells your money where to go. I encourage you to write down all that you owe and then decide what you can afford to put toward debt each month. "You eat an elephant one bite at a time", as the saying goes.
Paying down debt is not fun; however, it's worth the effort to gain financial freedom, no matter how long it takes.
Stay the Course
Often, my husband and I feel tired of saving toward our goals. Our budget keeps us on track when we get complacent or unmotivated.
I remind myself that saving for our goal will last only for a season, it is worth the wait and that patience is a virtue. In other words, stay the course, be patient and work heartily toward your goal because it is worth seeing it through to completion.
Budgeting is essential in our home, despite the occasional frustration AKA "budget meltdowns". We budget as a couple and believe that a written plan helps to run our home more smoothly and debt free.
Don't give up on your budget, but rather stay the course and be blessed as you see the fruits of your labor.
Kelly is a Christ follower, blessed wife, mom to be and a lover of all things home. She blogs at Kelly Cox At Home about her journey at home and passion for debt-free living. She hopes to encourage others in that goal, while sharing tips on how to manage and enjoy all things that make up HOME!
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