Create a budget, and stick with it

So I installed Microsoft Money today (finally), and established my monthly budget. GO ME!

Now comes the fun part.. STICKING WITH IT! Until this portion of the goal becomes a consistent fact, I will keep it on my list. :D

There are many unknown variables, when it comes to my incoming and outgoing cashflow… but now is the time to install my Money Management software and get the building blocks laid out for a solid budget for the rest of the year, especially with the transition out of the current living situation and into the new living situation.

More to come..

Well, life is shifting big time this month. Without a budget, I’m pretty much screwed. So I made one tonight and it helps to have a good idea of where everything needs to be.

So now is the “sticking with it” part! It’s probably going to take about a couple months for me to get used to it, but that’s fine. I’m ready to be good to myself.

This is going to be a major necessity soon..

the plan is to move into an apartment asap.. this will shift the money around some.. I don’t think it will be more.. I mean the rent is more, but the money saved from not having to go out to eat because of a nasty kitchen will offset it.. big time..

Last night I sat down with a notepad and drew up a rough draft budget, rounding up when I didn’t know the exact costs. After all of the expenses that I could think of were deducted from the income, there was over $800.00 left over.

Still though, that would mean sticking with the expenses that I came up with. Some of those expenses will be something I will have to train myself to stick to.

Next is a good budgeting system…

I’m collecting more and more goals relating to money. I figure a good foundation to achieving these other goals, (saving money, getting out of debt, financial independence), will happen a whole lot easier and faster if I can get the budgeting thing down.

I will admit, I’m not good at it. I don’t plan that well with money. But it’s GOT to happen. Life is finally starting to pick up in a positive fashion, especially in the $$ department… so I need to be careful with it.