The Power of Budgeting

Ignorance is bliss, but ignorance of your finances could leave you broke—or “in-between blessings,” as a good friend once told me.

No matter how you describe a bank account with insufficient funds, the point is: the account is struggling.

Maybe you think there must be a problem. Then, upon reviewing each transaction, you discover that indeed, you alone were the culprit.

Your ignorance has left you transferring funds, reaching out to a friend, or eating light until the next payday. Whatever the circumstances may be, we’ve all found ourselves there before.

But if this is an often-recurring cycle for you—if you dread even checking your bank account because you already know it’s low—there is hope.

Budgeting is the light at the end of your tunnel vision.

It’s how you begin to understand when, where, and how your money moves for you.

For some, looking may be uncomfortable. You may even feel a sense of dread.

Get past the shame and take a look.

Write down how much you make each pay period. Then write down your expenses between those pay periods.

Calculate how much it costs you to live and how much you have left to actually Live.

This is how you get your power back.

It’s how you can confidently pull into Chick-fil-A for the third day in a row and not be nervous.

It’s how you plan for your necessities.

It’s how you confidently say no to a friend because your money is already accounted for.

It’s how you chip away at that debt, those loans, and whatever other thing you may be working to someday pay off.

Budget. Then budget again.

Revisit it every month, every six months, every year.

Life changes. Income changes. Priorities change. Your budget should be allowed to change with you.

And if you have a significant other, budget together.

How much does the household make? Who pays for what? Who can handle more right now, and who needs to handle less? How can you both contribute while still having something left for yourselves?

These conversations may not always be exciting, but knowing where you stand creates a different kind of freedom.

Take a look.

Then look again.

Keep looking until you know the way your money moves. Until payday comes and you weren’t necessarily waiting for it.

Until checking your bank account no longer feels like receiving news.

You already know what’s there.

You already know what’s accounted for.

And you already know what you can do with what remains.

That is the power of budgeting.