If your budget has not been working for you, here are five reasons you’ve not been getting it right.
When people think about the word budgeting, they think it involves lots of details and calculations. If this is how you see budgeting, you may not find it useful.
Having a budget is meant to help you manage your money and guide your personal finance.
However, if you have a budget and still spend more than you budget for every time, your budget is definitely not working
Here are five reasons your budget is working and how you can fix it.
1. Your expenses are higher than your income
If your expenses are more than your income, your net income to be specific, your budget is bound to fail. No doubt!
You can check your monthly income and how much you spend from one payday to another. If there is anything you overspend on, you’ll have to cut it, otherwise, your budget won’t work.
2. You’re not sticking to your budget
Making budget plan is one thing, sticking to it is another. When you make a budget, highlighting your expenses, you need to stick to that plan.
Having a budget doesn’t just work, you have to make it work.
To stick to your budget, always refer to it before you spend. Track your spending with it and ensure you do not spend more than you budget for.
3. You focus more on tools than the plan
There are tools like budgeting apps that can make your budget plan easy.
But, having these tools does not automatically translate to having a successful budget. You still have to make the tool work for you.
As a matter of fact, a successful personal budget does not really require a spreadsheet or apps. What matters is the level of your financial discipline.
You can write your budget on a sheet of paper and will still be as effective as using budgeting apps if you’re disciplined enough to stick to it.
4. You’re not adjusting it
Your budget shouldn’t be so rigid that it can never be changed. If there is a need to adjust or change anything in your budget change it. If your expenses change, let it reflect in your budget.
5. You don’t have an emergency fund
Fam, the importance of emergency fund in personal finance cannot be overemphasised.
Having an emergency fund prevents you from spending out of your pocket for unexpected expenses.
If you don’t have an emergency fund, it is important you consider having one now to protect your monthly budget from getting spent on unexpected expenses when emergency happens.
-Pulse Ng
