and i'll show you how Budgeting = peace đ
âReal change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.â - Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ahh the dreaded B word⊠something that took me years to understand (why? how? why again??) and a lesson in humility to finally adopt. As you know by now, home is my passion, and having a well-run home makes just as much of an impact on your well-being as itâs beauty and comfort. In fact, Iâd argue that beginning with a budget when it comes to your home will set the tone for peace, a good nightâs sleep, and a sense of contentment. Budgeting puts you in control of your income and helps you to realize you are in charge, not your money. I realize this is a basic premise for many, but for those who just donât see the point or might have kids heading toward adulthood whoâve never budgeted, this is the post for you.
My foray into budgeting began in my mid-twenties, when I got a little too enthusiastic with my credit card. I had never had one before and the helpful folks at the card table at my university quickly signed me right up. Fun! Free money! I graduated soon after and couldnât wait to deck out my new room in my new apartment with beautiful things. It was just a small room, but I had the best bedding around, the best towels, new clothes for my soon-to-be-amazing-new-job, and a new life at a beach town in Southern California. I âoverextendedâ shall we say, and within months of landing my new job (not as a writer at the Wall Street Journal as I had hoped, but as a wedding planner at a local chain hotel) I found myself in a bit of a pickle. Small paycheck. Big bills. After getting a second job as a bartender (my first and last, turns out) and still not being able to meet the minimum payment on my card, my Dad generously offered to help me out as long as I learned to budget my money and stick to it. I realized how lucky I was to have the help, but budgeting? Yuck. My parents showed up with a lovely little budgeting book from Office Depot and I begrudgingly sat down with my Mom. She showed me how to give every dollar a place for the month despite my meager income. To my surprise, I was able to find a way to save a very small amount and still have a few dollars left at the end of the month for myself. In order to keep the loan they gave me I had to keep budgeting, and after a few months I realized that taking the time to manage my money made me feel so. much. better. Hey! For the first time in my adult life, I honestly felt a sense of calm when it came to money. Budgeting felt like my income increased, because when I took the time to put it on paper, it was an intentional act of managing my money. The sense of freedom and independence it brought was a relief, and to this day, I take the time to budget every month. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Am I still an enthusiastic consumer? Sometimes. But the experience changed my life and I wanted to share it with you in case you or someone you know could use a good starting point.
Since the days of the plastic budget book, I turned to Excel to create a household budget that works for us. Iâm including the template here, which you can customize to fit your needs. The formulas are set up so that as you pay your bills you can see how much is left over or paid in full. Itâs simple to use and will make managing your month super easy. Share it, pass it along, go through it with your kids. Itâs never too early to learn this essential, basic element in running your home, to give you peace of mind no matter where you are in life.
I sincerely hope this helps you begin to think about and hopefully implement a budget for your home if you havenât already. I promise you, itâs the first step to setting up and managing a home that works well for you, that brings you peace and comfort every day.
Thank you for reading today. Please feel free to comment or ask questions on this or any other post. Enjoy your weekend and Iâll see you here next time.
C x
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