It is something we have had to be careful in doing because we don't want money to become our primary focus and spend to much time laboring over it, but at the same time, we want to be intentional with what we have and not wasteful. We have some different saving and giving goals we would like to achieve, but have had a hard time reaching them without having some sort of system of spending in place.
So this weekend we set up a budget! We have talked about it before, but this time we sat down together, talked through it all and Ben even set up a fancy-schmancy Excel budget worksheet for us to input our spending into!
We set up different categories like: groceries, gas, coffee, eating out, and misc. Ben even had the idea to make a small category for "ben fun stuff" and "ashley fun stuff" so that when he wants to go hit golf balls he can budget money from that category to do so and when I want to buy sewing fabric or art supplies I can budget it from that category!
Some things we like about this new budgeting plan:
1. We are hoping to come under budget in most of our categories so that we can give even more and save more wisely!
2. It will be a good lesson in being disciplined and not just giving into every material desire we have.
3. It fosters better communication between the two of us in the money area and gives us common goals to strive toward!
woohooo...its kind of like a game!
us vs. the budget worksheet.
4 comments:
You will be so glad you budgeted!!! I would highly recommend investing in Quicken- it's a budget software that keeps up with your transactions for you and categorizes them and it also reminds when all of your bills and insurance payments are due. Ben set ours up and to me it's like magic!!
I'm in charge of weekly/monthly going in and categorizing our transactions specifically and seeing where we are over or under. Don't forget to include categories for car care, monthly bills, insurance, and dining out... it took us a while to figure out that our miscellaneous category was way too broad- we were always going over!!
Happy Budgeting :)
Totally agree with the car care, insurance, etc. categories. We worked at getting a lot saved up so that money sits in categories for health care, car, etc. just in case something happens. Justin is FABULOUS at budgetting. He has us down to the penny. I'm so thankful though because we started immediately and have already saved a ridiculous amount. We actually live off of his salary alone to save faster and also so that when I have our babies, we will be used to living with the smaller portion.
It's such a blessing, too, to have that chunk of money for giving! We have been able to give so much more because he watches what I spend on groceries/dates/etc.
And that miscellaneous category can get a little tricky like Amy said...we ALWAYS have to make sure we stay on ourselves about that category.
Love love love the budget!!
I love that you have a category for coffee :)
look at you expert budgeters!
thanks for extra info! ;)
and kyndall, you would catch that we have a coffee category--its very necessary :)
haha
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