I’m going to suggest a scenario, and you tell me what you’d rather do. Okay? Say you were forced into a dilemma and had to make a decision between throwing $1000 of your own money out the window of a moving car or you were forced into creating a budget and going through your finances for a half hour?

 

Would you rather sit thrashing in a chair, pencil in one hand and calculator in the other, sweat dripping from your forehead as you look over your bills OR a month from now find yourself out of rent money after tossing a bunch of Benjamins out the window? You’ve got thirty seconds to decide before the monster who is forcing you to make this choice says, “Times up!”

 

It seems like a no-brainer, right? If you’re thinking I meant skipping the budget meeting, then maybe it’s not so obvious. But I get it, budgeting is not everyone’s favorite thing to do. I bet there are folks out there who’d rather do just about anything than look over their finances.

 

Listen, I would do just about anything TO look over my finances.

 

Budgeting, while many people’s Achilles heel and personal enemy, is fundamental in living a financially secure life and here are a couple reasons why.

 

No More Guessing and Guessing Wrong:

 

Organization can create a lot of shortcuts and make your life so much easier. When everything is planned out, in its place, and accounted for life becomes simpler. It couldn’t be truer than with your finances. How much goes towards charities, tithing, food or housing? You’ll know exactly how much because you, yourself, created a plan.

Can I afford that car or will I sacrifice next month’s mortgage payment if I buy that tv? You won’t need to ask these kinds of questions if you’ve familiarized yourself with your own financial situation and know how much you’ve allotted for the different categories in your life. There’s no more guessing!

 

Keep Track of Your Cash:

 

Budgeting is a dull topic for most. It may be boring, but it can be your best friend if you do it right and are consistent. One of the greatest benefits is that you know exactly where your money is going. You have total control over the amount in your paycheck and where it ends up.

 

Obviously bills are top priority but after that, You decide what to do with the remainder of your hard-earned cash. You have the ability just by budgeting every month to send money in any direction you please, like restaurants, a new couch, retirement, entertainment.

But if you’re not being intentional or even conscious of where your money is going, then it’ll sneak away a little at a time. At the end of the month you’ll find yourself wondering where the heck it went. Having this written plan (the budget) ahead of the next month will help keep your money in the lane you intended, and stop it from disappearing altogether.

 

There aren’t any surprises when your budget is clear, planned, and realistic of the month ahead. Budgeting keeps you in the know of what’s yours.

 

 

Prepare for the Year:

Your budget is the best financial forecast for the month ahead, but it also helps your long-term plans. If you know that your auto insurance auto-debits bi-annually, you can plan in your monthly budget to set aside a little money so that when that premium is due, you’ve got the money waiting to pull instead of suddenly having to come up with it.

 

Who hates having to scramble to gather enough cash for sports gear, rent payments, insurances of any kind, or taxes? No one! Just because something isn’t due this month doesn’t mean it’s not looming, so do yourself a solid and budget for the bills that come less frequently. Save yourself from fabricating money, and actually plan for it.

 

 

Hit Financial Goals:

 

The budget, as we already established, keeps this area of your life organized. Your plan is in plain sight, waiting for you to execute it. When it’s all laid out in front of you, you begin to have a clear sense of what you have and what you will have. With a realistic view of your bank account, goals start to formulate and you begin to believe you can achieve your financial aspirations.

 

A monthly budget is your ticket to financial prosperity. If you cut your budget down to the bare essentials, it’s possible you’ll have money left over to throw at debt. With your debt eliminated, you have that cash you would have been putting towards payments to use for a down-payment on a home, retirement, college, investing, or traveling. It’s all possible with a strict plan, and that plan starts with budgeting out the money coming into your household.

 

What would you do? What could your future look like?

Budget living might seem like a snooze fest to some of you, and to others like me, you might actually enjoy it, but dedication to your plan is so worth it. It is possible to reach your financial goals, live a simpler life, and appreciate what you have when you take the time to know and understand what God has given you.

 

What kind of budget living benefits have you seen in your own experience? Let me know in the comments!

 

Cheers!