Budgets, or money plans, are an incredible tool to help keep your financial health in check. Whether you’re a die-hard spreadsheet fan, you’re passionate about the digital planner on your phone, or you are among the few (and I’ve met you!) who still love a good ole checkbook ledger, those who use a budget correctly find it irreplaceable. It gives them peace of mind and a sense of stability that there money is in the right place AND working for them. However, there are many out there who don’t have the same joyful view of budgeting. Let’s try this. Have you said any of the following:
- I don’t have enough money to create a budget.
- Budgets are depressing.
- I feel like these money plans just strip away any joy I could have out of life.
- I’ve tried to start one, but it never works out for me.
- Budgets are too hard to do and I don’t have the time to manage it.
- I’ve tried, but my partner doesn’t care about it so why should I?
- I simply don’t care to have one.
All of these phrases are valid feelings to why someone would be FRUSTRATED to even attempt a money plan. But, even with these common phrases being thrown about, the numbers of people producing, selling, and looking for “budget planners” are way up! Look at the following search results for “budget planner”:
- Searched “Budget Planner” on Amazon – over 5,000 results.
- Searched “Budget Planner” on Etsy – 118,075 results.
- Searched “Budget Planner” on Pinterest – I don’t have the time to find the end of that scrolling session!
- Searched “Budget Planner” on Google – about 287,000,000 results.
The point is…people WANT to know how to budget. We’ve just complicated the process so much that it almost seems like you need a software degree to figure out how to operate and manage all these sources that are advertising “the easiest way to budget is with us.”
To find the right budget template for you, you need to know your money first!
When it comes to budgeting, or creating your money plan, you need a “sky view” and a “ground view”. If you do well in setting up your budget, the “sky view” is the grand overview of where you’re at and what you’ll be looking at most of the time. The “ground view” is where you do a deep dive once a month to set all your money in motion. This is where you set up spending limits, checking to see what bills are due, start planning for the holidays, etc. etc. You should not be spending the bulk of your time in the “ground view.” If you do, you won’t be able to see your goals! All you’ll see are the details and those can be overwhelming.
A simple money plan that is geared towards your goals will give you peace, stability, and joy!
If you need help setting-up your budget, I am here for you! Really! People work hard for their money and it should be working for them. It breaks my heart when I have couples come to me without any savings or retirement plans and they just look lost. A few simple steps, a few strategies, getting down into the “ground view” for a bit, re-aligning spending with goals, and you have your first working money plan. There is nothing depressing about it. Joy comes because you will gain control, confidence, and the insight you need to make your dreams a reality.
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