By
Amy FontinelleWhat is
budgeting? Basically, it's making sure that you're spending less than you're bringing in and planning for both the short- and long-term.
Unfortunately, many people think of budgeting as depriving themselves and they avoid it like they do a diet. However, just like a diet is really just a program for eating, budgeting is just a program for spending. If you are hitting a mental roadblock when you hear the word "budget", just call it by a different name, such as "
personal financial planning." That's what budgeting is, after all. It's a proactive approach, rather than a reactive approach, to managing your money.
Budgeting is an important component of financial success. It's not difficult to implement, and it's not just for people with limited funds. Budgeting makes it easier for people with
incomes and
expenses of all sizes to make conscious decisions about how they'd prefer to allocate their money. It can also help people save for retirement, emergencies, a new car or just about anything. For many people, having a solid budget in place, knowing how much money they have and knowing exactly where that money is going makes it easier for them to sleep at night. (For more on saving for retirement, see our
Retirement Planning tutorial; Canadians, see the
Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) tutorial.)
This budgeting tutorial will teach you everything from setting up a budget to updating it as your circumstances change, as well as getting back on track if you go off your budget. Whether you're a college undergrad, retiree or somewhere in between, if you're looking for a way to manage your money better and improve your financial situation, then this tutorial is for you.
