“Budgeting and successful money management are common sense.” Ever heard that one before? I have, many times.
Unfortunately, it’s a misconception that I believe is a major reason why many people throw in the towel and give up on their financial wellness all-together. Because, if it’s common sense and it’s just not clicking for me, why should I even try?
Listen, friend to friend, if you have ever heard this falsehood, I want to urge you not to believe it! Truth is, if budgeting and money management were common sense, 80% of Americans wouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. Budgeting simply is not common sense!
What does it take to be successful with your budget, then? I got to thinking about this the other day and, serendipitously, 3 words that start with the letter “P” came to mind.
You guys, this type of accidental genius doesn’t happen often and I’m going to celebrate by sharing them with you today. Are you ready? Here are the 3 P’s to Budgeting Success.
Practice
My very wise 11-year-old nephew said to me the other day, “Practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes progress!” I’m sure he heard that from another wise person and you may have heard this before, too. But for me, I heard it first from my nephew and I couldn’t agree with him more!
It takes practice to become a good, solid budgeter. It takes practice getting used to tracking your income. It takes practice getting used to timing your spending to your paychecks. And, truth is, you’ll probably never have a perfect month of budgeting.
Even as a seasoned budgeter, I still haven’t had a month of money management where everything went exactly as planned! With practice, though, I’m able to make necessary adjustments that still allow me to reach, sometimes even surpass, my goals. This can be your reality, too…with a little practice.
Persistence
Oftentimes it takes at least 3 months of persistently planning and tracking your expenses for you to start building confidence with your budget.
These 3 months are by no means wasted time. Month one might possibly feel like a total flop but that’s okay because you learned something that doesn’t work, and you can adjust the following month! By month 3 or 4, after continuing to make necessary adjustments, you’ll notice that your budget and spending habits will start becoming more aligned and you’ll start feeling like it’s working for you! Show yourself grace and don’t give up!
If one single event happens that seems to have derailed all your efforts (hello surprise car repairs), that’s okay! Budgeting is about a process and lifestyle NOT a single event and the more persistent you are with your budget, the more you’ll be prepared for these surprises.
People
You need the right people in your corner to encourage you, to inject hope and to hold you accountable. You need people who will check in on you periodically for progress updates. This is the biggest one because, guess what, something will happen along your budgeting journey that will leave you feeling disappointed. It just will! Having a trusted confidant by your side who will cheer you on and refuse to watch you settle for less than you hoped for is going to be the absolute secret sauce to your success.
Of course, if you’re like many people and have a hard time thinking of people you trust to handle your financial struggles and goals with care and wisdom, well, I’d love to be your girl. It has been my greatest honor to walk alongside others as their financial redemption stories unfold and I’d love for you to be one of those people. I promise you won’t regret it! If this interests you, you can schedule a free call with me here and we’ll get you moving in the right direction!
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