Create a budget, and stick with it

I’ve stuck to my budget for about 4 years now and love it! I never worry about what I can and cannot afford and if something unexpectedly lovely occurs, I know immediately if I can afford the cost. Because of staying on top of things, when a friend found a way for us to go to Paris using our frequent flyer miles, I was able to say yes to the trip knowing I had enough money to pay for food/hotel/etc. I got a wonderful trip to Paris, only paying $50 for my roundtrip ticket (still had to pay airport taxes), and came back NOT IN DEBT. If I hadn’t have created that budget and stuck with it . . . I wouldn’t have had the experience of Paris. Please please please do this for yourself. The peace of mind and the ability to do more is so worth it!