Budgeting Tips for Moms Who Hate Budgeting

You know it is time to focus on saving money or paying down debt, but you would rather do anything than sit down and make a budget. Does that sound like you?

Many people associate budgeting with restriction or frustration, but it does not have to feel that way. With the right approach, you can build a system that works for your life and helps you move toward your financial goals.

Why Do Most People Hate Budgeting?

If I am honest, I don’t overly enjoy budgeting either, and I coach people on this stuff for a living! Budgeting requires us to take action. We tend to be naturally motivated by things that come easily to us. Many believe budgeting is hard, so the thought of sitting down to write one makes them cringe. I get it; It can be hard to feel inspired by personal finance, particularly if we don’t have a positive money mindset.

Most people do not like to budget, which is often the main reason they are hesitant to begin a journey toward financial recovery. However, creating a budget is an essential part of the process.

Here Are Some of the Reasons That Most People Find Little to No Joy in Budgeting:

• It takes a lot of self-motivation to get started
• It becomes a to-do list item that gets buried
• Many people feel like they are already doing it wrong
• Budgeting is an experiment, and early attempts can feel frustrating
• People feel overwhelmed by their current situation
• Shame and past mistakes can make it harder to start
• Looking at finances can feel discouraging
• Personal finance can feel boring

So, how do we move from hating it to rolling up our sleeves and getting it done? After reading the list above, do you see at least one reason that rings true for you? We don’t want to do the things we don’t like; we want to do the fun stuff.

What if I told you that the key to reframing your position on budgeting is to discover your “why” for moving toward financial stability? You won’t be able to move forward financially until you can align your money behavior with your financial goals. The way to do that is to begin budgeting.

Related: How to Create a Monthly Family Budget

5 Budgeting Tips for Moms Who Hate Budgeting

If budgeting feels overwhelming or frustrating, these simple strategies can help you get started and stay consistent.

1. Start With Small Goals and Actions

Having a goal and understanding why you want to win with money is important. If you feel it is time to get your finances in order, start by writing down 2-3 reasons you are doing this. What are the main reasons you want to do this? Is it to get out of debt, go on a vacation, or make a career change? Whatever your reasons are, get clear and write them down. You will need to be able to refer back to them to stay on course.

Once your goals are clearly defined, start with smaller, actionable goals. For instance, most financial experts recommend setting aside 3-6 months of expenses for emergencies. If that seems like a goal that is too far off for you, start with just focusing on building one month’s worth of expenses. Want to pay off all of your debt? Okay, start with the lowest debt and prioritize knocking that one out first. Small, attainable, actionable goals will help you stay focused and motivated.

2. Keep It Simple

The number one reason I hear from clients for not budgeting is that they don’t like math. We don’t need to overcomplicate addition and subtraction. Also, you don’t need fancy apps or spreadsheets, which often turn many people off to budgeting. I like to use pen and paper, scratch paper, a journal, and a notebook. Just use what you have and write it out. If you are tech-savvy, then download an app or create a spreadsheet. Do what works for you.

Start by figuring out what income is coming in (after taxes) and subtract your expenses. It is simple. Another pro tip when starting is to use a Paycheck Budget. A Paycheck Budget works by looking at one paycheck and determining what bills have to be paid before you get paid again. For the next paycheck, you will determine what needs to be paid with that one and plan accordingly. This takes some of the overwhelm out of planning for a whole month in advance.

Some of the major categories that you will use when looking at your expenses are:

• Food
• Housing
• Utilities
• Transportation

In that order.

Related: How To Create a Family Grocery Budget

3. Get Comfortable With Imperfection

I tell my newbie budgeters that a first-time budget is just an experiment. It usually takes at least 90 days to feel comfortable creating a budget. In those first few months, you are tweaking and massaging it to work for you and your family. Things will pop up, and expenses will change unexpectedly, so learn to adjust and go with the flow at first. Too often, people put unnecessary pressure on themselves as they learn to budget, which can lead to a sense of failure. When this happens, the budget goes out the door.

As you start the budgeting process, your list of priorities will reveal itself. And here’s the neat part: many people don’t even know their financial priorities when they first begin. You will discover them and surprise yourself with the power and freedom that come with making financial decisions for you and your family. Ultimately, budgets don’t have to be set in stone. Just learn to adjust and don’t expect perfection.

4. Build Personal Spending Into Your Budget

Budgets can feel restrictive because, when you first start, you tend to forget all the little ways you spend money. I suggest looking back at the previous 2-3 months to see where your money has been going, to get a good sense of how you are currently spending. The more precise you can be with the numbers, the easier the budgeting process will be.

Be sure to give yourself some of your money, and don’t just make a budget to pay bills. How are you currently spending money on yourself? Do you treat yourself daily at a coffee shop, with clothing, with self-care items, or with gym memberships? Be sure to build your personal spending into the budget.

Related: How to Have a Money Date: Tips for Managing Finances Together

5. Focus on What You Gain, Not What You Give Up

The opportunity to create a budget is the key to true financial freedom. Unfortunately, budgeting has gotten a bad rap because it feels much like a diet, focusing on everything you can’t have. Because isn’t it true when we are told we can’t have the cupcake, all we want is the cupcake?

The goal here is not to take away all the things you love or enjoy doing, but rather to build them into your budget each month. If you want to reach your financial goals faster, be willing to say no to things you do not need right now to say “yes” to the things you love!

Why Your “Why” Matters in Budgeting

Those goals you wrote down on day one will come into play because there will be days when you want something outside your budget, or you reach for the credit card to buy the thing that is calling your name. Budgeting takes commitment and willpower, but the sacrifices won’t last forever. As you see positive growth toward your established goals, you will gain confidence, and the momentum will keep you motivated.

Budgeting might not feel easy at first, especially if it is something you have avoided in the past. But with time and consistency, it becomes more manageable and even empowering.

When you begin to take control of your money and align it with what matters most to you, budgeting becomes less about restriction and more about freedom.