6 Real Advantages to Setting Up Your Own Personal Budget

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Is your goal to pay off your debt and live debt free? Is this what you really want? Millions of people want this too, but are not prepared to put in a little effort to set up a personal/family budget. You could easily prepare your budget in one evening and this can guide you for the rest of the year and into the next. Doing a budget for the first time can be a "eye-opening" experience. You may see the full extent of your debts and spending for the first time. This can be a great incentive to make a start on fixing the mess once and for all.

Benefit #1 - A personal budget shows your true financial position. If you don't have a budget how can you see your spending compared to your income? This information is at the heart of the budget process. It has the power to help you realize whether you are living within your means or on borrowed funds. It can show you where your income goes and whether you are spending it wisely, or not. It also shows how much of your income is being used to pay off previous credit purchases (plus interest).

Benefit #2 - Helps you save money and set goals. Once you have correctly prepared your budget, it will show you how much you need to save from your income to meet your expenses and set aside some funds for emergencies. It allows you to set goals, both for the amount and the timing. For example, you may set a goal of paying $3,000 (the amount) off your credit cards, within 1 year (the timing). Once you make a commitment to yourself to make this work, the budget becomes a tool that will help you stay on track.

Benefit #3 - Helps you commit to your goals. If you want to make the required changes earnestly, the budget goals will help keep on track. Now you can see what will happen if you go back to your old ways. When you see something you want you now have a choice. Spend now for instant gratification - or wait and feel a whole lot better about yourself.

Benefit #4 - Keeps you from spending money you don't have. Each time you spend, it either adds to or detracts from, your overall financial position. The personal budget can show you the impact of your proposed expenditure in advance. You don't have unlimited income. If you spend more than you earn you pay the price and the price is interest. This interest is often the cause of your hardship now.

Benefit #5 - Puts you in the financial drivers' seat. If you've prepared to budget properly then you will know in advance how any spending will affect your financial position. This can give you confidence and a sense of well-being knowing that you can make informed choices now. There is no need to ever go back to worry and uncertainty due to unpaid bills and unsustainable credit card repayments.

Benefit #6 - Tracks your progress toward your goals. Once you prepare you budget, it should not be put into a drawer and forgotten. It should be a live document that you refer to weekly, or at least monthly. This is your guide to financial freedom. You need to check your progress towards your goals, thus giving you the incentive to keep going and achieve your financial objectives.

You can see that all it takes is a little commitment and effort to get you on the path to financial freedom. Isn't it worth that little effort? Looking back, with the debts paid off, you'll agree that it was definitely worth it.