Budgets are hard. Sticking to them is even harder. In this debt payoff step we are in, it is difficult sometimes to tell myself no. When we go out to the store, I want to get extra things. When we run errands, I want to be able to grab lunch or dinner while we are out. I spend so much time at home, any time we go out I want to stay out as long as possible! Thankfully better weather is coming so we can spend time outdoors. But that doesn’t make it any easier to stick to my budget. We aren’t perfect, we spend money on things we probably shouldn’t, but we have worked hard to get this far. We still won’t make any new debt and we are still working hard to pay off debt, but let me tell you, we are in the nitty gritty of it.

Budgets are crucial at any point of your financial journey. Whether you’re like me and paying off debt or you don’t have any debt and you make a substantial income. You have to have a plan, otherwise you’re going to wonder where your money went. I’ve been there. I look back now and think about my debt to income in the past and I wish I had just been more responsible and budgeted better so we could be in a better situation than we are in now.

Sticking to a budget is all about self control. Delayed gratification. You have a goal you are working towards and you have to keep your eye on the prize. Think a $5 purchase here and there won’t make a difference? They do, if you make a $5 purchase outside of your budget just once a week, that’s $260! Over a 5 year period, that’s $1,300! It may not seem like much in the whole scheme of things, but what bill could you have paid off early with that money? How much interest could you have saved yourself?

When you make a decision to actually stick to the budget, you will see where you can cut more out to make the most of it. You learn what is truly important to you to keep in your lifestyle. When you have a goal, you need laser intense focus on it. Be intentional with your actions and ask yourself if what you are doing is getting you closer to your goals or not. Every now and then I understand just needing that Starbucks coffee, just don’t make a habit of blowing your budget. Stay dedicated to your budget and your goals!