If you’re still trying to use the budget you made four years ago, you have a problem. Your budget is supposed to change as your life changes. So, if you’re still in the same place you were four years ago your very first budget might work for you. Hopefully, things have changed for you and […]

read more from this topic.....

Spending money has never been more convenient than when debit cards were invented. Debit cards may have made it a little too easy to spend. When you use your debit card, it’s hard to keep an idea of your account balance. You can swipe to your heart’s content and won’t know whether you’ve overspent until […]

read more from this topic.....

I don’t believe in diets. I know people who are chronic dieters that never lose weight. There’s something about depriving yourself that makes you splurge later on. I advocate changes in eating habits. I have the same view about budgets. Budgeting doesn’t mean you can’t spend any money leisurely. If you try to budget that […]

read more from this topic.....

Most of my friends are twenty-somethings working in corporate America with no real financial responsibilities – rent, utilities, car note. So they have quite a bit of disposable income. You know what they do with it? Spend it. To hang out with them, I’ve got to keep up the spending pace, or else! Once upon a […]

read more from this topic.....

The first time I had  a job that paid monthly, I thought I would be broke. I didn’t know how I would manage one paycheck the entire month. Surely, I’d spend all the month by the 10th and spend the rest of the month broke. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I would […]

read more from this topic.....

Most people don’t budget because they think it’s too hard. Let’s just say it is hard (which it isn’t), wouldn’t it be worth it if it means you’re living within your means and not stressing out about money every day/week/month all the time? I’m going to give you a short, simple budgeting method you can use.  […]

read more from this topic.....

I almost feel silly writing this because I know you’ll laugh.  This is so simple, I’m sure you already know it.  But, like millions of others, you’ve made budgeting and spending so complex, you’ve forgotten the elementary principles behind money management. You’re not the only one.  People do it all the time.  That’s why there are […]

read more from this topic.....

Not everyone can count on  receiving the exact same amount of money each paycheck.  Many self-employed people, sales people who work on commission, waiters, and waitresses can’t predict how much they’re going to make from one month to the next.  Even though a fluctuating income makes budgeting difficult, it’s doable. Making the Variable Income Budget […]

read more from this topic.....

Making a budget on paper is a good start, but for some people, it’s tough to put the paper budget into pratice.  You have to keep running totals of what you’ve spent in each of your budget categories and frequently compare it to what you’ve budgeted.  What good is a budget if the process is […]

read more from this topic.....

Many kids are taught money management when their parents start giving them a regular, periodic allowance.  Then kids become adults, get their own jobs, and allowances disappear.  But maybe allowances should continue into adulthood. Have you ever considered giving yourself an allowance?  Separating “bill” money from “spending” money can help keep you within your budget […]

read more from this topic.....