It doesn’t matter if you’re a budgeting pro or fresh to the financial planning game: anyone can be susceptible to these seven budgeting faux pas that derail your goals. Here’s what they are and how to avoid them! Want to put this advice into action? Grab my free Monthly Budget Planner and start managing your money with confidence. [Get it here → Monthly Budget Planner]   Ignoring Your Fun Money Budgeting is serious business, and so is budgeting for fun. Too many people overlook spending on things they enjoy, thinking they have to focus all their money on only the essentials and their goals. But that will make life miserable and your budgeting a lot harder, so don’t forget to save some room for the things you love.   Don’t have a budget? This simple guide will help you get started in just 10 minutes! Get The First Payday Plan now!   Refusing To Budge on Your Initial Budget You have to be flexible if you want to maneuver through life comfortably, and budgeting is no exception. People new to budgeting will often be rigid with their initial budget. But that’s not a great approach; good budgeting involves assessing and adjusting as you proceed based on your realistic spending habits and goals, both of which can change on a dime. Forgetting To Save for Emergencies You’ve budgeted for rent, groceries, utilities, credit card debt, and even small things like haircuts or going out to eat. There’s just one problem: nothing left in the month to set aside for an emergency. Setting up an emergency fund is one of the most vital things you can do for financial stability. Every budget should make room for this, even if it’s only $5 a month! It’s better than nothing. Guessing Your Expenses Too Often It’s natural to forget a receipt here and there and have to round up or round down. However, good budgeting requires a more meticulous approach to expenses. The more you guess how much you’re spending or will spend on something, the harder it gets to reconcile your budget at the end of the week or month, and the more confused you’ll be about where that money’s going. Budgeting With Your Gross Income Your budget should reflect your net pay, not your gross. Net is what you take home after taxes, so it’s the actual amount you’ll have to work with. If you use your gross income instead, you’ll overfund your budget and spend outside your means. Tracking Less Often Than You Should A reasonable budget includes everything you spend on, from the high-ticket items to the most minor impulse purchases. Many people won’t track things because they think a few dollars here or there is unimportant. But much like with guessing your spending, this leaves you scratching your head when it comes time to determine what happened to your money at the end of the month. Not Using Resources to the Fullest New budgeters will make one spreadsheet, stick

Traveling with a kid changes the math on every part of a trip, and traveling with a kid by yourself changes it again. There’s no second adult to split the luggage-watching duties, no one to trade off who chases the toddler while the other figures out the subway map, and you’ve got to keep an […] The post A single mom’s guide to a budget weekend in Boston that doesn’t feel budget appeared first on […]