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If you are real lucky you might
find a budgeting software package in your PC computer. If you have
Windows, look in programs to see if you
have one.
Microsoft Money
Quicken
Peachtree Accounting
To do that, left-click the
button in the bottom left corner
of Windows and move your curser to all programs
and all the programs on your computer will be displayed. Look for a
budget program- if luck is with you you'll have one.
If you have
financial software you may already have a starter set of categories in the software
package. Otherwise you
will probably have to enter the categories one at a time when you enter the
budget data.
Here
again, you don't have to start out with everything. Try doing a few
expenses along with your income and see if that works for you.
If it
does, add the rest of the expenses, little at a time. There should be
instructions on how to get going with the particular software package that
you have.
Again if you start
out slow it won't be a pain. If you have a Bill Pay bank you may be
able to download your bill pay entries into the software you have.
Mindset- getting into a budget routine:
It is difficult to start up
something that isn't really on your 'favorite things to do list' but there
are many reasons why you need to put budgeting up high on your priority
list.
You probably know all the reasons why
you should budget, you probably already know that it's something you need to do,
but it's hard to get going.
Its' a lot like dieting, in a way.
If you are really dedicated to something you make time for it. You keep it
in routine. Routine tells your brain that this must be important because
you
see it every day, multiple times a day.
It's called focusing. When you
focus on something it can become a habit, a routine, that if for the good,
will be very beneficial.
If you don't have one [focus list], make one and
add the things you want to
accomplish along with budgeting and review it each day. The important thing is that you
look at it every day and before you know it you will be acting on them.
While you're at it, when you add
budgeting to your focus list also add investing. You may not know now but budgeting and investing will become very important in life, might as
well get a head start.
Summarizing the importance of budgeting:
Lets face it, you don't have to
budget. There are a lot of people out there that don't. And life
probably won't end if you don't. But you've got to ask yourself- is that
good enough.
It won't take but a little time to
gather your bills and income together, jot them down on a spreadsheet and
add a couple more columns to do the arithmetic.
You will be glad you did and I've got
a feeling if you got this far you probably will be inclined to take the big
step.
A major benefit to getting your
finances under control, using a budget, is that you are able to go in and
decide if you can do without things or make budget cuts- your workplace does
it, why not you.
It can be very satisfying when you
can manipulate your budget, cut something out, or reduce consumption of
something and be able to take the savings over to your investments or
vacation fund.
Your creditors and your
investments will be glad you did, family too. Good luck and remember
one important thing- you come first, take that first chunk of money each
month and save
it.
NEXT:
Budget Categories Starter Set
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