Are you good at making a budget and sticking to it?

[ajrsmom]

Are you good at making a budget and sticking to it?

Do you have any tips for us?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

When I am in school, my DH and I have a system. I go to the ATM and take out my alloted amount for 2 weeks. It is very effective because I am not sure what will come up during the 2 weeks. It eliminates impulsive buying because I know I don't have checks and I only have so much cash. I keeps me from spending too much and I wait until close to the end of my 2 weeks to buy luxuries for myself.

[gwtw-mom]

We use an envelope system. At the beginning of each month, divide your expenses into envelopes. Once the money's gone, you're done.

That sounds hard at first, but when you get used to it, you wonder what you ever did without the system.

Tammy

[bensmom526]

Last Sept I started to handle the finances (DH was doing them and it was bad) He handed them over to me saying If you can do better...

I started a binder with a page which estimates the payment I want to make with his paycheck then I jot down how much was actually paid..I have another page which breaks down his check so he can see where it went I try to do this for 3-4 months interval stopping as I come across bdays or holiday I jot this down an allot an amount for it as if it were a bill I was..he gets paid biweekly so I make 2 online payments on all our bills rather than a lump sum and we managed to be a month ahead in all our bills & rent which came in handy since he wasn't paid for 3weeks on his new job..

[kathymac]

Making a budget is my number one goal for this year. I think I would be very good at sticking to it once I actually sit down and figure it out.

Kathy

[stellajean66]

I am in the process of making a budget myself.

[brehartsell]

I am great at making budgets but less so at actually sticking to them. Once I make them I never seem to look at them again. B