Benefits of a Budget and Using YNAB with a Budget Coach

I am a money and budget coach, so I LOVE budgets! I find it is the best way to get what I want without sacrificing all my important savings goals and bills. Now, I know everyone might not like budgets. And that is totally fine. It really only works for you if you use it and put effort into it.

BENEFITS OF A BUDGET

For many people, a budget can help them save for a car or school. Or maybe a downpayment on a house or a home renovation. How I started was I wanted to travel. All the trips I wanted to do were so expensive. So I started saving. I could see my bank account grow, but when I had car maintenance or had to fix an appliance or something, it would go down. I could never see exactly what I had for my trip. I started using an app called YNAB, it stands for You Need A Budget, and the rest is history. I love this app. It has helped me over the last 15 years or so. I can give every dollar a job and know what i'm saving for and how much I have to spend. Budgets can give you clarity on what you have to spend. Having categories for all your bills, interests, goals, etc, you can easily see what you have at any given time.

CONS OF A BUDGET

None. The end. Just kidding. The con is that there is upkeep that needs to happen. If you are willing to do that on a weekly basis or even more, then you will do great. However, if you have a more go with the flow approach to life, it might seem like a bother or too time consuming. If it is a hassle it might take longer for you to get the value of having a budget. It also might take a few tries to see what works for you. You may like to write down in a budget planner, or use an app like I do, there are a few out there to choose from, or you might like to use Excel. I use or used all of these, and sometimes I still use all of them. Some people would say they are restrictive and no fun, so many people would say that here, but not true!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Trying anything new, you can come up with roadblocks. If you aren't sure what to do, you can check out YouTube and look for someone (like me) to help you there. Or you can reach out to a budget/money coach (like me) and talk it over with them and find what might be a good fit. A little trial and error on finding the right budget system, getting used to what dollar amounts you need to budget, and setting it up as a new habit will get you on the best path.

Budgets are not restrictive in general. They can be if you have limited funds or a lot of bills or debt. However, for the most part, if you need to move money from one category to another, so be it. You are in control of you money. If you want to go out to eat more because work is stressful and you don't feel like cooking, maybe you take money from you grocery fund and put it in dining out. No worries. The categories you shouldn't touch are your fixed bills. Your rent, mortgage, cell phone bill, car payment, etc. And the variable or sinking funds like groceries, dining out, gifts, vacations, you get to decide each month what is most important to you at that time. You may notice you don't think vacation is important, and your dining out is, and then a few months goes by and you want to put a deposit on a trip and you only have $53, you might be rethinking that next time you sit down to budget your paycheck.

If you are curious about your spending, savings and money habits. Reach out to me and I can help you get started. I know what it can do for people and I hope you give it a try! I also have a link for a free 94 day trial of YNAB, contact me using the contact button at the top and email me if you are interested in trying YNAB. Happy Budgeting!

If you want to get started right away, you can click below on my Amazon Affiliate link (#ad) and try out this budget planner.