Setting up and sticking to a budget will CHANGE. YOUR. LIFE! Today we're chatting about why you need to start budgeting ASAP, plus some great tips to help you stay motivated and on track to reach your money goals!

“How do I get my finances in order?” “How can we reach our financial goals?” “Where do I even start with budgeting?” These are just a few of the questions that I get asked all of the time on the ol’ blog, Facebook and Instagram! 

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Wanna know a secret? Those are the perfect questions to be asking right now! But before you actually start budgeting, there are a few things you need to do so you’re fully prepared for your budgeting journey. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it!

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Click HERE to watch the how to start budgeting video online, or keep scrolling to watch it:

Wasn’t that a great little video? Now, let's go over it and give you all of the deets you need to start budgeting!

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WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU START BUDGETING

The first thing you need to do is to find your motivation. I won’t sugarcoat it for you, budgeting can be hard! You need to find your “why” — what not only makes you want to start a budget, but is going to get you alllllll the way to the finish line? 

What is going to keep you from just going to Target (oh, I can hear the angels singing now!) and walking around, buying all the things? How are you going to keep from going out when you’re so. dang. tired. of eating at home every day? Don’t start budgeting just because it sounds interesting, really dig deep and find your why.

Sure, budgeting may be exciting to you when you first sit down and start thinking about it… But what is going to keep you going at it hard once you get through that excitement and hit your first hill, realizing that it’s really not that exciting to budget? Your why, your reason to start budgeting, is going to get you there! So, how do you find that?

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SET GOALS

The key to staying motivated is to set goals that you can work towards. What is it that’s going to make you want to be intentional with your money? What are you struggling with that's making you realize you want to start budgeting? Figure out your pain points and set goals to solve them.

Do you want to get out from underneath your pile of credit card debt? (That was definitely my motivation to start budgeting!) Are you wanting to help save money for your kids’ college tuition? Do you want to start saving for retirement? Are you wanting to take your dream vacation?

Set goals and start working towards them! We have a great post over how to set financial goals, so be sure to go read it and get some amazing tips. We not only walk you through how to set those goals, but also fill you in on a few financial goals you should think about shooting for!

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GET YOUR SPOUSE MOTIVATED

If you’re married or share finances with someone else, then they’ve got to be motivated to start budgeting, too! You need to be able to sit down and talk about your financial goals together, without getting upset with each other. The best way to do that is to hold a money date! (They are so crucial to get you both on the same page and our money date post has lots of tips on how to talk about money without fighting!) 

You’ll want to set individual goals, and then also set goals as a couple. That way, both of you are willing and motivated to get those finances in order and get that budgeting done, son! If your sweetie is a spender (it’s okay, I’m definitely the spender in our relationship!), then I’ve got a great post that you need to read over how to get your spouse to stop spending money! Use our tips to help them stop spending money and realize that they have a reason to start budgeting.

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START SMALL

Start really small when it comes to budgeting. It’s the little decisions that end up accomplishing the big things. Break it down into bite-sized pieces so it doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming. For example, start off small by setting a grocery budget. Make it your goal to stick to that grocery budget weekly.

Then, take whatever excess money you were spending on groceries and put that towards your debt (or your financial goals, if all of your pressing debt is paid off). Throw whatever extra money you have at it and you’ll be amazed at how much quicker you’ll be able to reach your goals!

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START BUDGETING WITH BUDGET BOOT CAMP

Does all of this sound amazing, but also overwhelming to you? If you’re one who prefers or needs more of a hand-holding situation (me!), then I’ve got you covered! Budget Boot Camp will be right up your alley.

It’s my really fun online video program that walks you through everything you need to know about money, setting a budget, paying off debt, saving for your goals, and muuuuuuch more! I’m so confident that you’ll love this program, it has a 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t save at least how much you paid for it. Yep, I’m that sure you’ll love it! You can also save 10% at checkout by using the code FCFBLOG, just because. 😉

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BUDGETING PAIN POINTS

Did I really hit home with you when I told you to figure out your pain points? When you were thinking about those, did you come up with more than just money-related issues? If so, then you just HAVE to check out my Productivity Boot Camp program!

It helps you find and conquer your pain points, accomplishing more in your day so you can free up your time to do more of the things you want to do! Use the code FCFBLOG for 10% off of the program! 🙂

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Alright, so are you ready to start budgeting already or what?! What are your goals? Let me know in the comments and we’ll help keep each other accountable!

Looking for more great articles?

• You’ll be amazed at the results you’ll see when you start applying the 70% rule to your budget!
• Needing to save some money, fast? Try out a spending freeze!
• If you want help to find more time in your day to get things done and open up your day to be able to do the important things, then start using my viral block schedule system!

XOXO,