Budgeting can be very good for finances, but very hard on your psyche. A budget is a financial diet. Like food diets and exercise programs we can become bored and want to do something, anything, except what we’re doing. So how do we stay on a budget? How do we keep the budget relationship fresh, new, and exciting? Just like with a diet or exercise plan, we have to make changes to keep things interesting.
We tend to stray off of our diets because we want the foods we’re used to eating. Our new diet is a healthier way of eating that will satisfy our hunger while delivering all the nutrients our bodies need. That doesn’t really sound all that exciting. It is very difficult to completely change our way of eating without slipping back into old habits. It can also be hard to get beyond the end goal and think there’s no way to reach it. When we diet we have to give ourselves small achievable goals to stay on track. One goal could be to drink 64 ounces of water in a day. Another goal could be walk a certain number of steps, run a number of miles, or spend so many minutes on the elliptical. We also have to remember that we can enjoy all foods in moderation.
Spending plans and budgets can be the same way. We’re used to a way of spending and it’s hard to change even when it’s better for us. By changing our smaller, more achievable goals every so often, we’re breathing new life into our budget. Knowing we have a large burden of debt is oppressive. Working toward the goal of packing lunch for a week is manageable. Read my blog on the Back in Black app for help with staying on track.