4 Budgeting Mistakes Most Of Us Make That Can Be Fixed

Many of us get into situations in which our finances aren’t quite what they should be. When that happens, the clear answer is to set up a budget and then stick to it.

Yes, in some cases, you may need to take more extreme measures, like getting a car title loan or car loan refinancing. In many cases, though, with or without such measures, you can fix your mistakes more easily than you might imagine.

The key is to know the common budget mistakes and how to fix them, and to help you out, here are four very common budgeting errors.

Budgeting Error #1: Never Changing Your Budget

Often, when people think of budgeting, they think of it as a one-time thing. They sit down, talk with an accountant, or just go over their finances on their own. From there, they see how much they need for bills and how much they have left and decide where to allot each bit of money.

And, while these kinds of measures are a great start, it’s important to understand that budgeting is not and should not be a one-time thing.

Your budget will change very regularly. Take the holidays, for example. This is a time when you are probably going to need to spend more than usual. Or, how about tax season? You might have a greater income than usual.

Whatever the case may be, changes in your budget need to be accounted for and planned around. Thus, change your budget up accordingly whenever your finances change to avoid major problems.

Budgeting Error #2: Relying on Guesswork

Something else that people commonly do wrong when budgeting is relying too much on guesswork.

People often guess at things like what their electric bills will be or their grocery costs. However, a much better option is to carefully track and accurately plan for these expenses.

When a bill varies from month to month, track it for a few months before setting your budget. If you need to, go ahead and average out the figures you get to arrive at a reasonable sum to set aside from that amount.

This simple step can make your budget a whole lot more realistic and manageable than if you just made a guess.

Budgeting Error #3: Now Allowing for Fun

When you think of budgeting, you probably think of buckling down and getting strict with your finances. And, while this is fairly accurate, keep in mind that you’re human! From time to time, you are going to want to see a movie, eat dinner out, or splurge on that top you saw at the mall.

Yes, budgeting is about being responsible, but you also have to be reasonable. If you don’t allow any wiggle room or “fun money” into your budget, you’re probably going to get burnt out on budgeting real soon, which makes you more likely to give up.

To make budgeting more viable and easier to stick to, make sure you set aside at least a little money, within reason, for fun and lighthearted purchases.

Budgeting Error #4: Not Communicating

When you’re single and truly flying solo, budgeting is easy. You track your own income, your own bills, and your own spending.

However, when you’re married or in any kind of relationship with shared finances, things get a little more murky. You and your partner or other family member both have to be onboard with the budget if you’re going to make it work.

Thus, if you find yourself connected to others, make sure you are all communicating, aware of the budget, and following the rules. You can’t have success with your budget if all members of your team aren’t on the same page.

As you can see, budgeting isn’t always as easy as you might imagine. However, if you can follow this advice and stay on top of things, there’s a good chance that budgeting can work out well for you and yours.