How close do you stay to your budget?

**Natalie** · 06-23-2009, 09:28 AM

I have a hard time sticking to my budget. A I really should read the other posts in this thread, but I'm running out of time, but I had to pop in and put down the funny that popped into my head when I read the subject line of this thread: the closest I am to my budget is when I'm holding it.

**tervsforme** · 06-23-2009, 09:46 AM

I'm working on formalizing my budget. I agree that you have to put a little bit of fun money in the budget. I know for myself, if I'm too strict for too long, I kind of snap and go on a spending spree, so I'm working on that in my budget, just a little bit each month, but it means a lot just being able to go buy a nice new candle and know that I'm not going outside my budget.

Good Luck!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-23-2009, 10:52 AM

I think if you're going to have a strict budget without the fear of straying too far from it, you'd need to budget in some fun money for the little splurges. I don't know of anyone who is that tight on their budget that doesn't slip up at least once.

Our budget was primarily designed as a way for us to keep track of bills and to get ahead. If we stray a little bit, that's what miscellaneous expenses are for. If we have to pick up a few things during the week, that's what our biggest allowance for wiggle room is made for.

Extremely strict budgets have the biggest room for downfall because when you restrict yourself that much, you almost feel resentful at the budget for not allowing you to do anything other than what's designated. You can still have a successful budget as long as you make good on putting in a category that allows for a small but budgeted amount of fun each time you make the budget. Even if your goals are to save up the $1k EF and to account for the true emergencies, something may come up that'll offset the budget where it's unexpected.

My advice to you is to make it as realistic as you imagine it will be. Don't try to make it what you want it to be, especially if it's suffocating your happiness with its overall purpose.

**Brighid** · 06-23-2009, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by MomToTwoBoys

I think if you're going to have a strict budget without the fear of straying too far from it, you'd need to budget in some fun money for the little splurges. I don't know of anyone who is that tight on their budget that doesn't slip up at least once.

Our budget was primarily designed as a way for us to keep track of bills and to get ahead. If we stray a little bit, that's what miscellaneous expenses are for. If we have to pick up a few things during the week, that's what our biggest allowance for wiggle room is made for.

Extremely strict budgets have the biggest room for downfall because when you restrict yourself that much, you almost feel resentful at the budget for not allowing you to do anything other than what's designated. You can still have a successful budget as long as you make good on putting in a category that allows for a small but budgeted amount of fun each time you make the budget. Even if your goals are to save up the $1k EF and to account for the true emergencies, something may come up that'll offset the budget where it's unexpected.

My advice to you is to make it as realistic as you imagine it will be. Don't try to make it what you want it to be, especially if it's suffocating your happiness with its overall purpose.

Very well said! This is definitely the way I want to go! Thanks!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-23-2009, 06:20 PM

I'm very glad that I could help.

**littleplum** · 06-25-2009, 03:22 PM

We adjust our budget on a weekly basis, so we pretty much stick to it. Most of our bills are set and known ahead of time (mortgage, insurance, savings, retirement, etc).

Others, like utilities, are variable, but usually fall within a narrow range, and we tweak the budget as needed for those items.

The really variable items (groceries, gasoline, etc) are cash categories, so they don't need to be adjusted, so long as we stick with just the cash we withdraw each payday.