Once you’ve set a budget up, you won’t find that everything runs just perfectly. One thing that I learned early with my budget journey is that budgeting is a marathon, not a sprint. Often people jump on the budget bandwagon at the first of the year but then lose interest and momentum as the months pass. Don’t let that be your story!
In our home, we stayed on the budget bandwagon from the beginning and the results have been worth the effort. We literally never looked back and decided to stay the course. Truly, we have seen over and over again that it was worth our time. If you’ve fallen off track, it is never too late to jump back on.
While budgeting takes time and effort, you’ll find that in general, it helps you save more money and get rid of debt. In fact, the more intentional you are with your finances, the more financial freedom you’ll experience.
Check out these five tips to stay on the budget bandwagon.
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Surround yourself with encouragers
If you are trying to budget and save, then you’ll need to spend time with those that encourage you in that goal. Consider not hanging out with that friend who is constantly throwing money to the wind and never thinking of how they will make it to payday.
In order to stay focused on your goals, it’s essential to surround yourself with encouragers and not those that deter you from your budget. My hope is that while you budget and save that those around you will support you in your efforts. Who knows, you may even be a positive influence in their lives too!
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Learn how to cope with setbacks
A budget is simply a written plan. From time to time, you’ll “blow” your budget because of an unexpected expense or perhaps a poor choice on your part. Be sure you learn to cope with setbacks rather than let them completely derail you from your budget goals.
A way to cope with the over-budget issue is to regroup and figure out where you could tweak the budget in order to finish the month well. You may still be over budget but you’ll know how to better plan for the next month. Take the time to learn about what went wrong and how you could adjust things for the future.
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Cut yourself some slack
Give yourself a break! A little grace goes a long way with budgeting. If you are too hard on yourself, then you won’t be able to think clearly or have a reason to keep going. I have found that giving yourself a little slack is a way that you can encourage yourself to stay on track.
Your budget won’t be perfect and you will have something that won’t go smoothly at times. Stay the course, cut yourself some slack, and in time you’ll see the fruits of your labor.
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Keep your eye on the prize
As you budget, keep your sights fixed on your financial goals. Don’t focus on the long road ahead but rather what you can do daily to get there. The prize of financial freedom or saving up for that big expense that you want or need is what makes all the hard work worth it. Perhaps your goal is to live debt free or pay off a bill.
Whatever it is, keep your eyes on the hope of pulling off the goal. Your budget, strategy, and efforts will pay off!
Don’t fall off the Budget Bandwagon! You can do this thing. Budgeting is not for the faint of heart. However, I have found that they are key in attaining financial freedom and success. Stay the course and you’ll see that it’s worth the effort.