Can I Buy That covered why we keep a budget. Knowing it's a good idea, though, is a far cry from actually having a budget. And before we discuss real-life budget tips, we need to cover one other important topic.
Stop me if you've heard this one... there are two types of people in the world... Don't worry - no corny punch line. When it comes to a budget, there really are two types of people. For the sake of discussion, let us call them nerds and free spirits.
No, the nerds do not have pocket protectors, tape on their glasses, and a nasal laugh. Nerds like details. Nerds put things in their place - and everything has a place. They can read maps. And if you let a nerd loose on the budget, he/she will calculate it to the penny. I know - I'm a nerd.
Free spirits, on the other hand, look at the big picture. Those pesky details - like how much money is actually available - get in the way. Free spirits feel their finances, go with the flow, and live in the moment. Free spirits enjoy money.
Did you identify your spouse? Yeah, I did it too. Guess what? You're the other one! God has wisely complemented us with a spouse different than us. Neither the nerd nor the free spirit are wrong. And they are both right. Any well rounded budget needs a little of both.
So here is where we start... Nerds write the budget. The nerd calls a budget committee meeting. The nerd presents this budget to the free spirit. And then the nerd shuts up. You can not say one single, solitary word. Finally, the nerd must let the free spirit change something. Ah-ah, remember, not one word.
For their first step, the free spirit actually shows up at the budget meeting. Change anything you like. Your spouse may cringe the first few times. They'll recover - I did. And after all of your changes, the budget must balance. That means your income equals your outgo. This meeting does not end until that budget balances.
Sounds so easy, right? Next we'll get into some concrete budget writing tips.
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