It has been a while since we talked about anything financial. If you are on a personal growth journey getting your finances in order is probably on your to-do list. I know it was on mine. I know some people don’t like hearing the “B” word, but we are not getting any younger. We need to sacrifice a little bit now to have a better life when we want to do all the things we want to. I want to share with you today the 5 resources you need to create a personal budget.
Mike and I are nowhere near where we want to be with our finances but we have been plucking away at it for the last 3-4 years. Some months it’s perfect other months not so much. You live and you learn. If you fall off the debt train just pick up where you left off. It is not an exact science but finding a system that works for you is the ultimate goal.
This whole post might just be me talking about The Budget Mom. I have talked about her before. But I am telling you though her whole system is very easy to follow. There are also Facebook groups you can join for advice. We are going to go through the 5 resources you NEED to create a personal budget!
Go through your bank statements
This might be the hardest part. I was SHOCKED when I went through our finances and categorized each purchase with a different colored highlighter. I opened up an Excel spreadsheet and put each category in a different tab. I wanted to know the TOTAL AMOUNT we spent in each category. After you get over the initial shock and regain consciousness.
The next time you stop at a gas station for a drink and a snack you will think twice. AND do not think I am saying you CAN’T do that. You totally can, but definitely limit it. It is time to be super mindful of your money. Stop and ask yourself “Do I really need to buy this?”
Don’t knock a monthly calendar
A monthly calendar is a god-sent. When it comes to everything else in my life it can all go on my digital calendar… But bills go on an actual paper calendar on my fridge. Every payday I grab my calendar from the fridge and The Budget Mom’s paycheck bill tracker. Seeing my calendar daily reminds me of what I need to do every Friday.
You can buy it for 2 bucks on her site here. I promise you it is so worth it. It is nice to have a job for your money. You can track your bills for that week, your envelopes if you want to become an all-cash spender, Your debt payments, and your savings. It is one sheet of paper to help you keep track of all your money.
She has a video to help walk you through how to use it on her Instagram and also her YouTube channel.
Debt coloring pages
If you are a very visual person like I am then I definitely recommend printing out some Debt Free Charts. They have charts for everything 401k, adoption, car loan, and even hospital bills. Anything you could think of they have a coloring page for it. My favorite is Game of Loans and Debtris.
Honestly, if I am going to be doing something boring like taking my time to create a personal budget.. I might as well be having fun while doing it. I want it to be all in a nice binder, with coloring pages and fun quotes. Things that are going to keep me motivated.
Support system
As I mentioned before there is a Facebook Group for The Budget Mom and I also recommend Credit Warriors. Between these 2 groups, I am finally making sense of all the things I was never taught growing up.
If you are in a relationship get your partner on board with you. Just having someone to bounce ideas off of and motivate each other every day can be very useful.
If you are not in a relationship recruit your best friend. If you are like me and have no friends make a friend online.
Just make sure you create a support system that doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself!
Patients and forgiveness
This is the best resource you can have when trying to get your finances in order. You need to have patience with yourself and forgiveness when you fall off the wagon. Again it is okay if you do, just get back up and keep working on it. Eventually, something will click inside of you and everything will start to make sense. You will be able to see your progress if you stick with it.
Create a personal budget
If you are looking for some more tips on how to create a budget CLICK HERE for some other resources that might help you! I know this isn’t much, but using this as my system has really helped me and Mike a lot on our financial journey.
If you have any questions please drop them in the comments. I will help you as much as I can. If you don’t want to make it public shoot me an email at [email protected].
Until next time, Have a great day!
These are great resources! I’ve never seen those Debt Free Charts. Such a great idea for visual learners or anyone who’s tired of doing it the same old way and failing. Definitely going to check those out!
Yeah, I learned very quickly I am a visual learner. I have to see it on my wall to know I am making progress.
Fortunately, I’m quite good with money. I tend to spend only what I actually have, that’s already a good plan. For instance, before travelling, I always save up money instead of having a heart attack when checking my account after the trip 😉
However, if people don’t have this ‘talent’ naturally, your control measures will be sooo helpful!
How much money do you save before a trip? Is it different for each place you go to or do you have a general amount you save?
I agree it’s really important to have a clear goal and budget, so you have an idea of how much and how often you spend. Thanks for the tips and I think it’s useful to a lot of people. – Knycx Journeying
Yeah, I definitely wish I would have learned about this earlier in life.
I started to monitor my finances like a hawk ever since I experienced a rather traumatic financial issue. I always record my expenses and keep all my receipts/bank statements for me to track all my expenditures. Awesome tips, Michele!
I watch my spending like a hawk too.