The Basics of Building a Personal Budget |ADDICTED

Many may wonder about the advantage of building a personal budget, but as someone who’s learned from his past mistakes, taking the time to make a personal budget is crucial to financial success.

You see, a budget is a plan that helps you manage your finances. It enables you to figure out how much you make, spend and save. Creating a budget can help you balance your income with your savings, returns and expenses. In theory, it should guide your spending to help you reach your financial goals.

So, where does one begin? Well, since it’s all a numbers game, that’s where you need to start.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Check the Numbers

Before you start making a plan of any kind, you need to know the facts. How much money do you make from all work, full or part-time? How much do you earn from investing, and how much money do you spend.

A great way to start is to look through your previous six months’ worth of statements, find the monthly payments and expenses, any quarterly, and identify any unusual spending of more significant amounts.

The reality is, you only know how to make a plan when you have the information to do so.

Identify Your Goals

Some think that making a budget is all about saving for the future, and while that may be an integral part of it, there are many other reasons for making a budget.

For some, it’s about gaining better control over their lives, personal, business, and financial, and with that, those people may find the structure of making a budget precisely what they need. Adversely, some people have become so weighed down by debt they need to make a budget and a viable plan to turn that around. You can learn more about debt consolidation and debt relief here should you be looking for information to help you out.

Whatever your reasons may be, identifying your goals before you start is always a great idea.

Do Some Research

If you’ve never made a budget before, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Many adults don’t have a yearly budget in place and are flying by the seat of their pants. While this might work for some lucky people, that’s not the case for most of us.

If you’re looking to budget to save, find resources that offer info about that if it’s debt consolidation, then find the corresponding help for that. As they say, knowledge is power, and while we know most of us won’t be experts anytime soon, finding reliable resources is also vital in a winning plan.

Find What Works for You

Some use excel and make a spreadsheet, and others have found amazing apps and programs that offer what they need to budget, plan and bookkeep all in one. It’s all about finding what works best for you.

I’d advise you to look around at some of the offerings, and over time adopt the one that works best for your plan and lifestyle.

Building a Personal Budget

Knowing what you make, spend and save all depends on creating a budget, staying on top of it, and, if need be, changing your plan. And while you should never agonize over the numbers or mistakes made, you should take the time to continue learning, growing and, hopefully, making the very best choices for you, your life and your finances.

Don’t get overwhelmed by every step in making a plan. Instead, try to work through one step at a time as you work your way to the perfect personal budget for you.

So, collect your information, set your goals, do the math, find what works, and before you know it, you’ll have a personal budget that works with and for you.