Making a Budget: Figure Out a Budgeting Approach That Works

Wouldn’t it be great to save something regularly with minimal effort? Budgeting expenses lets you do that.

What is a budget? A household budget or personal finances budget is a summary allowing quick comparison and easy tracking of income and expenses over a certain period. With a budget plan drawn up, people clearly see where their money is going, and whether or not they are spending more than they earn. Budgets rely on the balance.  Budgeting also lets people save for things they really want to buy or invest on.

Budgeting helps people realize the importance of replenishing money supply, even before funds run out, allowing helpful adjustments. For example, when a person sees recurring expenses like internet or phone plan over a year, he/she can do comparison shopping and determine if switching providers may lead to cost savings.

The decision to make a budget or not depends largely on an individual’s money mindset or financial perspective/attitude. Some persons ease into frugal habits naturally, while others hate budgeting and put it off. People differ in their personal budgeting style or approaches. Whatever the manner with which it is done, creating a budget has payoffs. Even people with high income can benefit from a monthly budget.

Here are 5 budgeting tips, tried-and-tested ways to channel hard-earned money for best purposes, and not be waylaid or trapped in endless procrastination when creating a budget:

1. Look ahead. When creating a budget, it is important to have foresight and direction. Map out a plan. It is like having a destination in mind, and knowing the directions to definitely get there, rather than wandering around aimlessly. Achieving financial goals can be done with good money management, including budgeting. The process can be a whole lot easier when you know exactly the reasons and benefits. Most people learn how to budget only after they have accumulated debts, and in such case, sticking to the financial budget will knock out the debt more quickly. The bottom line is, it is important to look ahead and prevent headaches and lost money. Looking ahead helps maximize hard-earned money. How?  A simple budget, called 50/30/20, reminds people to spend roughly 50 percent of their after-tax earnings on necessities, not over 30 percent on wants, and at least 20 percent on savings and debt repayment.

 

2. Put your plan into action. A plan is useless if you do not work on it. A budget plan lets people decide ahead of time how they will use their upcoming paychecks. Budgets give people the answers to questions like, “Have I allocated money for necessities (shelter, food, utilities, transportation, etc.)?” Have I set aside funds for debt payments, unexpected expenses, savings and the fun stuff? In short, a simple budget lets people watch their money, so dive right into budgeting money Budgeting also lets people see if they need to earn more or get a side hustle to cover the essentials.

Day-to-day living expenses are crucial, and for people who live from paycheck to paycheck, diligently following a financial budget can be a way out of such frustrating and often worrisome situation. As for the wealthy, being able to monitor the outflow of funds not only provides peace of mind but also helps grow money even more. A form of investment that lets investors have control over their money is P2P (peer-to-peer). Even a minimal amount can be invested on a P2P funding platform like BlendPH, so even those individuals who adhere to a personal budget can earn or make their money grow – by freeing up funds for investment and getting started on an investment journey.

3. Allow changes in response to life situations. A household budget can be revisited and tweaked, as needs arise and as circumstances change. With the pandemic, for instance, heads of families have reallocated more funds to boost family members’ immune system, purchasing vitamin-rich food and supplements, as well as sanitation & hygiene items, and so on. As the economy reopens and life returns to “normal,” needs and spending habits are also bound to change, so budgets may be adjusted accordingly.

Also part of learning how to budget well is understanding what you are currently spending. If you have a student loan, you need to understand how interest accrues. Understanding hidden fees is important when determining how to budget money.  When availing of a loan, you would want to see how flexible the interest rate is, and the payment term you can handle. Getting married or enrolling your child for online class? Setting up a budget is crucial in just about every  life situation. As Derek Notman, a CEO who has worked with entrepreneurs and businessmen, stated, “Without knowing your cash flow, you could be putting yourself into a bad financial situation and not even know it.” Budgeting lets you see the flow of your money.

4. Prioritize. Synching spending and saving habits with your goals and values is crucial. There are people who have numerous money goals and lots of people to support, so to save sanity, focusing on the top priorities is key. An honest assessment of one’s priorities, personal values, and spending capability is very important when it comes to money management.

 

5. Use tools if you need to. There are numerous tools to help people track expenses and debt payments. One can, in fact, create a budget online, or use budgeting software. One can track debt payoff progress and also learn budgeting hacks using the web.  A budget spreadsheet using a laptop may also be done. When creating a budget, take a closer look at your income, list down monthly expenses and label fixed and variable expenses, then make the necessary adjustments.

By automating as much as possible, the money you have allocated for a specific purpose gets there with minimal effort on your part.  Fintech innovations have led to easier ways to check one’s available funds and do easy budgeting, spending, borrowing and investing. For individuals with investible funds, BlendPH has an Auto-Invest Arrangement. Indeed, P2P is an automated  investing option worth exploring, yielding a higher return over time. Moreover, a P2P platform has automated logarithms are at work throughout the lending process, adding ease and efficiency.

Whichever budgeting approach you choose, the important thing is to get started. It all becomes easy with these pointers in mind.