Pop Quiz!.. Everyone pull out a sheet of paper and a pencil..and how are you doing budget-wise? Have you recovered from the Christmas spend-fest?
Every month I like to hold a business meeting. Since I live alone, it's very easy to organize. All it takes is a blank sheet of paper, bank statements, bills, income and savings.
I go over the set bills for the month, subtract that from my expected income and (hopefully) increase my savings a bit or (better yet) pay off a bill entirely.
I'll be honest, there have been times when this pow-wow of one would make me ill. My stomach would turn when I came up short. Maybe I'd be moving in the wrong direction or go over budget in a big way.
But I am learning that the only way to get ahead is by focus and intensity- "gazelle intensity"- as
Dave Ramsey puts it. And not opening that envelope does not make the bill go away!
So my challenge to you is to write out your bills- all of them..start that budget..even if it's overwhelming at first. Many times I would make myself worrying about some bill (especially the tax bill!). But go ahead, open that envelope, pull out that sheet of paper, make a plan, and start saving!
Do you have a budget? Are you saving-even if only a little- every month? One of the ways that I save is by automating it! I have $35 a week taken from my checking and put into an online savings account. I am surprised how I don't miss something if I never see it! Even if it's $5 a week, every step is a step in the right direction.
Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links. However, I have reviewed all of the links and believe them to be helpful and informative.
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