5 Simple Budgets to Get Your Finances in Order

Are you a mom who’s tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Are you ready to take control of your finances and start saving money for the future? Budgeting is the key to financial success, but it can seem overwhelming and confusing.

Managing your finances can be a bit scary, especially if you have never created a budget before. However, budgeting is essential if you want to gain control of your finances and reach your financial goals.

Since budgeting isn’t one-size-fits-all, there are several budgeting types available, each with its own unique benefits and drawbacks.

Whether you are looking to save money, pay off debt, or simply get a better handle on your spending, these different budgeting methods can provide you with the tools you need to succeed.

What is a Budget?

A personal budget is a financial plan that helps you manage your income and expenses. It’s a tool that allows you to track your spending and make sure that you are not overspending or living beyond your means.

The purpose of a personal budget is to help you achieve your financial goals by allocating your money to different categories such as rent, food, transportation, entertainment, savings, and debt repayment. By creating a budget, you can see exactly where all of your money is going and identify areas where you can cut back on spending.

To create a personal budget, you need to determine your income and expenses. Income includes all the money you receive, such as your salary, bonuses, and any other sources of income. Expenses include all the money you spend on bills, groceries, transportation, entertainment, and any other items or services that you need.

Once you have a clear understanding of your income and expenses, you can start allocating your money to different categories based on your priorities. It’s important to set realistic goals and adjust your budget as needed to ensure that you are living within your means and saving for your future.

Overall, a personal budget is a crucial tool for managing your finances, reducing stress, and achieving your financial goals.

How to Choose the Right Budget for You

To find the right budgeting method for you, here are a few steps you can take:

• Assess your financial situation: Take a look at your income, expenses, and debt to get a clear understanding of your financial situation. 
• Identify your goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your budget, whether it’s paying off debt, saving for a big purchase, or simply living within your means. 
• Try out different methods: Give each one of them a try for a month or two to see how they work for you in practice. 
• Adjust as needed: If one method doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to try another one.

Remember, the right budgeting method for you is the one that you can easily stick to, and that helps you achieve your financial goals. 

5 Simple Budgeting Methods

1) The 50/30/20 Budget

The popular 50/30/20 budget is a personal finance strategy that suggests allocating your after-tax income into three categories:

1. 50% of your income goes towards your needs, which includes essential expenses such as housing, utilities, food, and transportation.
2. 30% of your income goes towards your wants, which are non-essential expenses such as entertainment, travel, and hobbies.
3. 20% of your income goes towards your savings and debt repayment. This also includes contributions to retirement accounts, emergency savings, and paying off debt.

The 50/30/20 budget is a flexible guideline that can be adjusted to fit your individual circumstances and goals. It helps you prioritize your spending and make sure you’re saving enough for the future while still allowing room for discretionary spending.

2) The Zero-Based Budget

A zero-based budget (ZBB) is a budgeting technique that starts from scratch every month. It requires you to assign every dollar of your income to a specific category or expense, ensuring that your expenses match your income and that you don’t overspend.

Unlike traditional budgeting, which starts with the previous month’s budget and adjusts it accordingly, zero-based budgeting requires you to create a new budget from scratch each month. This approach can help you identify areas where you may be overspending or underspending and make adjustments as needed. It also ensures that your spending aligns with your financial goals and priorities.

3) The Cash Envelope Budget

The Cash Envelope Budget is a personal finance system that uses physical envelopes to allocate and track your spending in different categories.

Here’s how it works:

1. First, you create a budget for different categories of expenses, such as groceries, transportation, entertainment, etc.
2. Next, you withdraw cash from your bank account for each category of spending and put it into a corresponding envelope. For example, you might put $200 in cash into your “groceries” envelope and $100 into your “entertainment” envelope.
3. When you need to make a purchase in a particular category, you use the cash from the corresponding envelope. For example, when you go grocery shopping, you use the money from your “groceries” envelope to pay for your purchases.
4. Once you have spent all the cash in an envelope for a particular category, you know that you have reached your budget limit for that category for the month. This helps you stay on track with your spending and avoid overspending in any category.

Some people find the Cash Envelope Budget to be a helpful system because it provides a tangible and visual way to track their spending and stay within their budget. However, it may not be the best fit for everyone, particularly those who prefer to use debit cards for their purchases.

4) The 80/20 Budget

The 80/20 budget is simple. This budget means identifying your essential expenses (housing, utilities, transportation, food, entertainment, etc.) and allocating 80% of your budget to these categories. The remaining 20% gets allocated toward savings.

By prioritizing your spending in this way, you can ensure that you are meeting your basic needs while still having money to save.

If you’re new to budgeting, the 80/20 budget is an excellent starting point for taking control of your finances. This straightforward budgeting procedure has minimal categories, making it a great option for beginners.

5) The Pay Yourself First Budget

“Pay Yourself First” is a budgeting approach that involves setting aside part of your income for savings or investments before paying any other bills or expenses. This method emphasizes the importance of saving and investing for your future financial goals and encourages you to make it a priority.

This budgeting strategy can be implemented in various ways, depending on your financial situation and goals. For example, you might choose to set up an automatic transfer from your checking account to your savings or investment accounts each month, or you might allocate a certain percentage of your paycheck towards your savings before you pay any other bills. 

The key is to make saving a habit and a priority and to consistently set aside a portion of your income towards your long-term financial goals.

Final Thoughts

Budgeting is an important part of managing your finances effectively. By choosing the right budgeting method that suits your lifestyle and financial goals, you can take control of your money and start making progress toward a more secure financial future. 

Whether you prefer the simplicity of the envelope system or the flexibility of the 50/30/20 rule, there is a budgeting method out there for everyone.