5 steps to create an ongoing budget

Garage Stock / Shutterstock.com

A topic that often evokes a love-hate relationship is budgeting. As Dave Ramsey once said, there are two types of people in marriage: planners and free spirits. Planners focus on budgets, while free spirits prefer living without constraints. But with nearly 78% of American workers living paycheck to paycheck, it’s no wonder they need help.

So why are so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck despite having a sustainable income? Why is budgeting important and how to create an ongoing budget? Let’s take a look at the steps.

Step 1: Assess your financial situation

Before you put pen to paper or dive headfirst into a spreadsheet, take a moment to reflect. Don’t crunch the numbers yet, consider your financial situation. Are you living on 78% of your paycheck? Are you lacking a financial cushion? Are you swimming in banknotes? Or maybe you know you can do better.

Think of it like this: Imagine your income is a pot of boiling pasta. Once you pay that, what’s left is your net profit after taxes. If there is a big hole in the financial colander, only a few “noodles” will remain. The goal is to plug that hole and secure more noodles, or income, for yourself. This is a simple analogy, but it emphasizes the idea that even if you have a good income, it is possible to live beyond your paycheck.

Step 2: Set clear financial goals

Now that you have a clearer picture of your financial situation, it’s time to set goals. Goals provide something to strive for, both in the short and long term. He divides the goals into three categories.

• Short-term goals (to be achieved within the next 12 months): Pay off your car, get rid of your personal loan, or tackle small debts.
• Medium-term goal (2-5 years): Pay off consumer debt, such as credit cards or student loans.
• Long-term goals (5+ years): Visualize your financial future. What do you want to achieve? Homeownership, early retirement, or starting a business?

Make sure your goals are clear, defined, realistic and achievable. It’s important to effectively set the stage for your financial journey.

Step 3: Create a budget

There are many ways to create a budget, from pen and paper to budgeting apps. Initially, consider starting with a manual approach to better understand your expenses. Write down all your income sources and expenses, no matter how small.

This process helps you understand the intricacies of your spending habits, including small, easily overlooked transactions, such as a $5 general purchase because you didn’t buy enough groceries at the beginning of the week. Masu.

There are several budgeting techniques, including:

• Zero-based budget: Allocate every dollar of your income to a specific category so that it totals zero at the end of each month. This approach is time consuming, but effective for careful planners.
• Envelope System: Allocate physical cash to envelopes designated for different spending categories and ensure you only spend what’s in the envelopes. This method is highly restrictive and may not be well suited for modern digital transactions.
• 50/30/20 General Budget: Allocate 50% of your income to necessities (housing, groceries, etc.), 30% to necessities (entertainment, etc.), and 20% to savings (retirement, emergency fund, etc.) .

Choose the method that best suits your personality and financial situation. The key is to find a budgeting strategy that you can maintain over the long term.

Step 4: Manage your expenses

To fine-tune your budget, take a close look at your spending. Are there areas where you can cut or reallocate funds? Forbes suggests budget ranges for various categories.

• Residential: 25-35%
• Transportation: 5-15%
• Groceries (groceries and eating out): 10-15%
• Personal care (clothing): 5-10%
• Healthcare (insurance premium): 10-15%
• Loan repayment (excluding car payment): 7-15%
• Utility charges: 4-7%
• Entertainment: 1-5%

Remember to allocate a portion of your income to prioritize savings before budgeting for other expenses. Pay yourself first.

Step 5: Stick to your budget

The most difficult part of creating a budget is sticking to it. Recognizing the need for change is easy, but implementing it consistently is the real challenge. Use budgeting apps or electronic tools to monitor your spending throughout the month. Create a budget as a team by involving your spouse and treating it as a regular discussion or date night activity. The key is discipline and consistency.

Budgeting may not be the most interesting topic, but it’s a powerful tool that can change your financial future. By creating a budget that works for your situation, setting clear goals, and following through with your plan diligently, you can break out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and make your financial dreams come true.

Remember, it’s not about limiting your life, it’s about gaining the financial freedom to take control of your life and enjoy it to the fullest. So, start your budgeting journey today and watch your financial life improve.

Editor’s note: Author Connor Bauserman is a senior financial advisor at Harbor Investments.

GOBankingRates Details