Make Life A Little Easier: Setting A Budget And Sticking With It
Where does the idea of sitting down a coming up with a personal budget rank on your list of things I cant wait to do? If youre like most people, its probably somewhere between jabbing a fork in your ear and getting a root canal. Cant say we blame you, devising a budget for yourself is definitely not the most stimulating activity in the world. But for financial well-being, its an absolute must. It neednt be too painful though. With todays technology, budget-making is pretty much a snap. Just remember, the goal of creating a personal budget is threefold: 1) to list your expenses, 2) to set future goals, and 3) to cut costs to meet your goals.
Where does your money go?
The first part is always the hardest when it comes to starting a budget. You need to find out where your money is going on a monthly basis. You could dig into bank statements, credit card receipts and check ledgers, then hand write every expense you come across on a sheet of paper. Thats one way to go. The other, simpler way is to use the amazingly intuitive personal finance software thats available today.
Programs like...