Okay, so last month didn’t go as you planned. You spent too much on dining out. That sparkly red dress with a hefty price tag called your name and you bought it. You took that trip….well, damn, just because you needed to relax. Now there you are, sitting in your big comfy chair, afraid to look at your budget because you know you busted that thing wide open! You think, “How could I? I was doing so well!”. Guilt and despair begin to creep into the crevices of your mind, and the only solution to bring relief is to give up on budgeting together.
Budgeting. You Can Master It
Budgeting is a skill to be mastered. It takes both time and commitment for it to become second nature. Have you heard the age-old adage, “Quitters never win”? Well, it is true. How can you win if you don’t keep yourself in the game? Please don’t, and I repeat, Don’t give up.
Now that I’ve talked you off the deep end, would you do me a favor? Take a deep breath and say, “I am going to start again. I am recommitting to my plans and goals”. Last month is in the history books, there is no changing what happened yesterday, but we can take complete control of today and embrace a fresh beginning.
Review your mindset. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves, “Am I ready?” Most of the time, serious budget busting results from a lack of commitment to the process. The most crucial budgeting component is setting it firmly in your mind that you will stick to it.
Tweaking Your Plan
Review your budget and see where you can improve. Is your budget too rigid that it doesn’t allow you to have some fun? Maybe you should consider adding a ‘ME MONEY™’ category to your budget to allow yourself funds to have some fun. After all, what’s the purpose of wealth building if you don’t allow yourself to enjoy some of the money you work hard for? Are your budgeted categories unrealistic? Did you budget $100 for utilities forgetting that winter adds to utility costs? Or you didn’t adjust your grocery budget to account for $500/a dozen eggs; okay, eggs are not that much, but pretty close! Budgets can and should be reworked. Gurl, don’t be afraid to give that budget a makeover!
Need an accountability partner? Join our Facebook group full of like-minded individuals ready to cheer you on. Remember to grab your favorite budget planners and savings sheets in the Broke + budget + Girl Shop and read this article to start you on the path to developing SMART savings goals.
Now get back up, dust your shoulders off, and get back to it! You can do it! I believe in you! Embrace your fresh beginning.