There's that horrifying word. The one that makes so many people cringe at it's very utterance. It seems like they could make a very good spooky movie with
title "You Have To BUDGET!".Yeah, that's a little dramatic but I have been helping people with their personal finances for almost 30 years and it's not too far off base. The word scares daylights out of some people.
You should see their faces when I tell them they are already budgeting no matter whether they have anything written down or not. It's a fact.
Whether you run your budget out of your wallet or on a printed budget form you are still budgeting your money. The main difference is that running your budget out of your wallet doesn't have a plan or anyway to control your spending.
Maybe we should refer to managing our finances as a road map instead of a budget. It doesn't sound quite as bad and it identifies what you are doing more clearly.
Budgeting is exactly like taking a trip in your car. You know where you are and where you want to go but you need a road map to find out how to get there. You are simply developing a plan or route if you prefer.
No one would even consider starting out on a trip to unfamiliar places without a road map. Why would you consider managing your money without a budget?
The reason most people give for not budgeting their money is that it will deprive them of things that they want. They are right to a certain extent.
