A Personal Budget: a Healthy Plan for Financial Freedom
If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely going through slight financial stress and seeking for a way to gain control of your finances. The best way to do this is to produce a monthly budget and committing to it. A sound budget is a fundamental tool for managing money, one that has allowed me to get on with my day to day life even on limited funds. One of the most crucial things that I do every month is managing my monthly budget, this has allowed me to consistently meet all expenses, grow my savings, and eliminate debt.
I map out my budget for the upcoming month close to the end of the month. This will prepare me of what’s down the road. It’s not a good idea to produce a budget after getting paid because, too often, that flush feeling of getting a paycheck leads to nonessential and spontaneous spending before the paycheck ever reaches the bank.
Managing my personal budget includes listing all the things that must be paid that month like mortgage/rent, utility bills, and other essentials like insurance, auto loan repayment, transportation costs, and phone. The general idea is to apportion a budget for the affairs that I must pay to keep a comfortable roof over my head and carry on earning money. I like to pad these necessities to create “money back” after paying the bills and, if costs increase unexpectedly, I’m always covered.
Next, my budget is subjected to a list of discretionary things I need to cover but could live without if absolutely unavoidable. An example are monthly savings deposits, credit card repayments and donations. Don’t get me wrong, some of these things are also essential, but in case of emergency they can be left out. By paying credit card companies the maximum instead of the minimum, I keep my credit score high and my debt low.
My budget does not include the cost of living such as food and entertainment. Ultimately, these items get covered by what’s left in the budget. Some months involve lots of beans and rice, slow-cooker meals, free or cheap entertainment, and only one inexpensive piece of clothing . This strategy of overseeing my monthly budget has worked out very well over the long term as long as I honor it scrupulously.