how to start:
1. add up all your expenses for the month.
2. subtract your expenses from your monthly income.
3. decide how much to set aside in savings and as a tithe.
4. assess what a reasonable amount of "fun money" could be after saving and tithing.
suggestions for making it work:
+ look ahead at the month. what special events are coming up that you might want to save for? (i.e., a new easter dress, a friend's birthday gift, etc.)
+ watch out for lots of "little" purchases. whenever i see something i want for $5 or less (umm, everything in target's $1-5 section), i keep in mind that all the little things add up! i usually walk around the store with it until i'm ready to check out and if it still seems crucial, i keep it. if not, back on the shelf it goes!
+ is there something big that you want to get? save up a few month's "fun money" to put towards that purchase.
+ keep really good track of your spending, otherwise why even budget? i use the notes app on my phone to document all my fun money purchases.
+ give yourself grace the first month (but really try not to go over). it's hard to stick to a new structure for spending, and it takes some getting used to.
my march & april (so far!) spending looked like this:
march: $75 + $7 rollover from february = $82
$20 lunch with a friend
$7 lunch with another friend
$7 rita's waterice and pretzels
$8.50 train ticket
$8 nail polish & mug at tj maxx
$10 spent at 5-below
$5 panera with a friend
$4 mascara thanks to a coupon!
$7 lunch with another friend
--------------------
$66.50
april: $75 + $15.50 rollover from march = $90.50
$1 onesie for aiden from a thrift store
$1 cute file folders at target
$22 date night beverage splurge ;)
$4 gardening things
$9.50 of something i forgot to write down what it was
$6 cute pots for my plants
--------------------
$43.50
how do you budget monthly expenses? have you ever tried tracking your "fun money"?
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