Budget

Budgeting! I know I know, it's not fun BUT (as Dave Ramsey would say)...If you live like no one else, LATER you can live like no one else. Think about that.

Last Christmas my parents bought me Dave Ramsey's Starter kit: a couple of books, an audio series and the envelope system. It honestly changed my life. Since then I have worked my way through the baby steps and last week was able to complete baby Step 3! I can't even describe how this feels - living debt free with a fully funded emergency fund! I have worked my butt off this last year, said NO to a lot of things. It wasn't easy, but nothing worth having ever is, right?

One of my life goals is to be able to retire comfortably and be financially free. I want to encourage you to start planning for your future now - because there is no better time, and it's never too early, or late for that matter.

Having a written based budget is one of the first steps towards financial freedom. You need to tell all of your money where to go every month with a ZERO-BASED BUDGET: Income minus all expenses equals zero.

So, write down your income on one side of the paper and on the other ALL of your expenses. Any "extra" should be assigned to something - emergency fund, paying off debt, retirement, college fund, etc. There should be ZERO left over each month.

Review your budget before the beginning of every month and change it as needed. Now get started!