I Wish Someone Had Told Me About These 15 Ways To Stick To A Budget

I struggled hard with budgeting, but these ideas made a difference.

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Sooo many people struggle with budgeting.

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In fact, the majority of people don't know how much they spent last month, according to a study by Mint. Yikes.

I mean, I was definitely there. I struggled hard with budgeting. I couldn't find the ~perfect budget template~ and was living paycheck to paycheck because of it.

When I decided I wanted to take control of my finances, I literally just went through a trial by fire to figure out what worked for me.

Here are 15 tips that helped me actually stick to budgeting:

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Of course, everyone is different, so not all of these ideas will work for every single person. Just take what sounds good to you and leave the rest.

1. Think of budgeting as a habit that takes time to learn.

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For most of us, budgeting doesn't come naturally. It’s a skill and habit that takes time to develop.

It's kinda like running. If you've never run a mile in your life, you're probably not gonna want to start with a half-marathon. Most likely, you'll start with a smaller goal, like walking for 20 minutes or jogging for 1 mile, and do more as you build endurance.

So when it comes to budgeting, immediately jumping into making a mega–Excel spreadsheet could be setting yourself up for failure.

2. You don't have to budget for everything that could happen in the future. It's okay to start by focusing on what you need right now.

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The need to try to budget for everything you want in life RIGHT NOW can make people get overwhelmed and quit before they even really begin.

I mean, it still counts as budgeting even if all you have written down is your everyday expenses!

If it's too much to plan for what'll happen six months from now, then just make your budget relevant to your life for this month. And as you get more comfortable with the budgeting process, you can always revisit the things you want to plan for in the future.

3. The budgeting method you choose doesn't really matter as long as you use one that actually works for you.

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Are you ~spreadsheet-obsessed~ or do you hate Excel and everything it stands for?

Well, it kinda doesn't matter. What matters is that the method you choose is one that you can do long-term.

I mean, if your budget is literally just a list in some notes app on your phone, who am I to say that won't work? Money is so personal and you know yourself best.

BTW, if spreadsheets aren't your thing, check out these alternative budgeting methods for some inspo.

4. Try budgeting just one or two categories at first. You can always expand into more categories later.

Charis Barg

People often wanna go balls to the wall when they first start budgeting but then quickly lose interest. Instead, start with budgeting even just one to two things first, like groceries and restaurants. After all, food can be a budget K I L L E R, so why not start by just tracking your spending there.

That way, you're not starting out by budgeting your entire life and it'll be easier to get into the habit.

5. And try limiting your budget to just a few categories with bigger budgets instead of many, many small categories.

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I feel like most budget templates include so. Many. Categories. It just makes it all look so overwhelming to me.

If you feel the same way, it might help to combine related categories. Below are two budget examples.

Budget 1:

• Clothes: $75

• Makeup: $50

• Haircut: $25

• Manicure: $50

Budget 2:

• Beauty/esthetics: $200

Which budget do you prefer having? There is no wrong answer, BTW. But if you're newer to budgeting, you might like to try something like Budget 2 first to keep it simple.

6. Don't immediately go for a supertight budget. Instead, make gradual cuts so you don't feel deprived.

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Is an estimated dining-out budget of $50/month realistic for someone who goes out to eat every day?

Trying to incorporate a drastic change like that overnight makes it really easy to go over your budget, which makes it easy to convince yourself that there's no point since it's "not helping."

Instead of being super restrictive right off the bat, ease into it and make incremental cuts to the areas where you want to spend less. The point of a budget isn't to spend $0; it's to help provide clarity on your spending habits.

7. Be honest about how much you spend.

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The goal of budgeting is to figure out how much you actually are spending. If you don't know how much you're spending, then it's easy to spend $200 one month and $800 another, and have no idea that's happening. As tempting as it can be, don't try to hide spending from yourself. For your budget to really work, you have to be honest.

8. Check your budget for 15 minutes once a week.

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You don’t wanna wait until the end of the month to realize you overspent by $1,000.

Instead, set aside about 15 minutes to check your credit card and bank statements once a week. It’s surprisingly easy for charges to slip in undetected, especially if those charges are just $10 here and there.

You can even set up a timer so once those 15 minutes are over, just stop.

9. Or just check your budget anytime you have a few free minutes.

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Maybe you're not the type to sit down at the same time every week. I get it.

Another method is to try checking your budget for a few minutes randomly several times a week. I mean, if you're scrolling Instagram while waiting for something anyway, you might as well use that time to check your bank statement too. Trust me, you'll feel so ~productive~.

And if you don't love checking each of your accounts individually, apps like Simplifi can link all your accounts together and automatically track your spending into categories so you can see your budget all on one page.

10. Have a budget goal for something. It can be literally anything you want as long as it motivates you.

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TBH, unless you have a reason to stick to a budget, it’s really easy to just…not do it.

Create goals for yourself to give you a reason to stick to your budget. These goals don’t have to be crazy big (but they can be). Some examples:

• Getting a new phone since yours is all cracked.

• Treating your mom to dinner for her birthday.

• Setting enough money aside to go on a vacation for a week.

• Paying off that one annoying credit card debt.

If you want an app for this, Digit can help by moving money into categories so you can visually see your money being assigned for whatever you want to save for.

11. Sort your expenses into fixed costs that stay the same every month and variable costs that go up and down.

Charis Barg

You probably have expenses that stay the same every month like your rent or random subscriptions. Definitely set money aside for these costs but you don't really have to pay *as much* attention to them 'cause you know they'll stay the same over time.

That clears up mental space so you can focus on expenses that actually change. For me, the big ones are food (going out to eat or groceries), shopping (clothes, shoes, etc.), and Amazon (I'm serious).

12. Try something for two weeks. And if it’s not working, then try something else.

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Budgets are about finding a method that works for YOU. If you don’t like something, try something else!

If you budget for groceries using a phone app, you might find that you love it. OR you may find that you hate it and would much rather write things out by hand. But at least you tried something. And once you've figured out what you don't like, you're that much closer to finding the right method for you.

13. Try planning ahead for seasonal expenses by saving little bits throughout the year.

Charis Barg

If you regularly give gifts during the December holidays, then you already know it's a big expense that you can expect.

Plan for it throughout the year by setting aside a set amount every month starting in January (or right now). That way, you're not freaking out at the sudden holiday-sized hole in your bank account come December.

You can do this for other things that come up throughout the year too, such as birthdays, annual memberships, and car registration.

14. Keep track of the due dates on all of your bills to avoid surprises.

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Make sure you know when you’ll get charged so you're not *surprised Pikachu face*.

You can do this just by writing it as a reminder on your phone's calendar. Or if you're a ~spreadsheet lover~, then put it all on a spreadsheet.

15. And finally, don’t worry about being perfect; just be consistent.

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Forget to budget last week? That's okay! Just because you forgot or you went over budget for a month doesn't mean all is lost.

Just try to keep budgeting and reviewing your expenses so that week of forgetting doesn't turn into a year. Little slipups now and then are totally normal, so try not to worry about them too much. Instead, stay focused on your current budget and keep working on building this healthy money habit.

Just remember: There is no "right way" to budget.

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Budget templates, apps, and methods all exist to help YOU control your finances. Find whatever way works for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s "not pretty" or it's "too simple." You really can't do it wrong (as long as it's working for you) so don't worry about it if your budget doesn't look like someone else's.

Do you use a budget? Share what helps you stay on track (and what throws you off) in the comments below!

And check out the rest of our personal finance posts for more money tips and tricks.