Budget, Budget, Budget

I really think that BUDGET is Husband's favorite word. *sigh*



"Babe, did you budget for that?" "Stacie, how much of your budget goes to gas?" "Honey, I think I'm going to add more to the grocery budget." "How much of the kids budget goes toward doctor's appointments?"



See? He's a man with our family's budget on his mind. *sigh*



CONFESSION:

In all fairness to him, I am not the best at budgeting, by any means. Sometimes, I fail horribly at it. Truth be told, if were up to me, our family would have no budget.



What my Husband has taught me is a valuable lesson that I AM STILL LEARNING:

Paying bills on time and budgeting your money are two very different things.

(Let that sink in for a moment.)

Here's some background information. I came from a family where there was a lack of budgeting, not too much planning on what to do with money once it came in. Many times, the money was already "spoken for," a robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul situation, gone as quickly as it came. Often, bills were overdue and there were some very hard times.

With that said, my mentality was, "When I become an adult, I will make sure all of my bills are paid on time!" Boy, was I emphatic about this. If I owed something, then I paid it right away and that was it. However, budgeting was not in my vocabulary. There was no saving for a rainy day, there was no allotting a certain amount of money for certain things. It simply was once my bills were paid, the rest was available for me to SPEND, SPEND, SPEND!

Paying bills on time and budgeting your money are two very different things.

So, fast-forward to me marrying a man who budgets money very well and even does budgeting for a living. Imagine my shock, my struggles, my denial, my ISSUES! Which brings us to the other day. Husband gave me a little more money to spend budget each month. I thought "YES!" until he called me from work and asked that I have a budget all planned out so we could go over it when he came home.

(Hopes deflated--dreams deferred! LOL)

What he asked is that I really think about the needs of our home, our family, and what I find myself spending extra on each month. So, I sat down and created a very simple chart of how the lump sum would be broken down each month. I had to have an amount that I save, no matter what. And whatever was solely "mine" to spend, had to be a smaller amount than the other categories. Husband explained that in order for it to be a "budget" I must stick to my plans, period. So these are the areas where the new "extra" money will go:

• 
  Savings: simply putting money aside without any "labels" attached.
  
  


• 
  Home: whatever items I need for organization, home decor, and bigger cleaning purchases (like a new vacuum--hint, hint!). Things that will help me make the house a home.
  
  


• 
  Gas: I know this may be a "strange" category, but with gas prices being what they are, and swim lessons 4 times a week, taking the kids back and forth to school--I need to have this money set aside.
  
  


• 
  Personal: I get to choose.
  
  

I would have never thought to budget "extra" money. You know my thinking, "I'm already budgeting in other areas. This is extra! Time to find a sale!!!" While this is a struggle for me, I can say that I am able to find freedom in practicing this discipline. It is also a very good way for me to practice stewardship over the blessings God has given to me and my family.

Thanks, Husband.



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