Sticking to a Budget

Written by Matthew Perry (last updated February 21, 2009)

Making budgets is an odd hobby, I think, but if you don't stick to a budget, is it really anything more than that? A budget does absolutely nothing if it has no reference to your spending or your saving. It can be hard, especially if you're on a comparatively restricted income, to refrain from unplanned indulgences, but it's definitely worth it; sometimes even your legitimate expenses turn out to be more than you'd anticipated, but you can recover. You have the money you have, and you can only make the most of your money by spending it wisely, and the best way to do that is through a plan: your budget.

Budgets are (generally) not meant to accommodate unplanned pizza binges, visits to the masseuse, or late-night shopping sprees. Expenses resulting from this type of behavior are strictly up to you and your personal discipline, which I know from experience can be a scary prospect. (There's a pan of brownies in my kitchen right now that is disappearing much more rapidly than anticipated, and I seem to be the only one with chocolate on his lips.)

If possible, make sure you plan some indulgence into your budget to keep temptation from getting too strong. If your budget is so tight it's cutting you in half instead of holding your pants up, something needs to change. Hopefully, by planning fun into your budget, it will be easier to deal with and you will be less vulnerable to sudden cravings, intense advertising campaigns, and sore muscles.

On the other hand, some expenses are beyond your control. No one plans on being pick-pocketed, but a stolen wallet can mean a lot of unplanned expenses in terms of time and money. Recovering from such accidental costs may take you off the beaten trail of your budget, but the detour doesn't need to be permanent if you make your budget flexible. You may have a few unstable points in the first few months of your budgeting experience, but before long the benefits of using and sticking to a budget will seem so obvious you'll wonder how you got along without one.

Author Bio

Matthew Perry

MORE FROM MATTHEW

Realistic Budget Categories

Let's see, I think I'll put a little money in the Ferrari fund . . . some for a trip to Maui . . . what am I forgetting? ...

Discover More

Should You Refinance?

The rightness or wrongness of refinancing depends a lot on your specific situation. Here are two factors you can use to ...

Discover More

Health Savings Plans

Ecclesiastes says that there's nothing new under the sun. That may be true, but Health Savings Plans are still an ...

Discover More
More Money Tips

How to Budget Holiday Gift Spending

Trying to live within a budget is hard a hard lesson for many people, how to budget holiday gift spending is one that is ...

Discover More

Making Your Budget Work

A non-functioning budget is about as useful as a pre-eaten meal. If you are going to have a budget, make it a working one.

Discover More

Creating a Budget

Does your money slip away before you know it? Follow these easy steps to find out where it's going and keep it close.

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five more than 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)