It can be hard to learn how to budget your money, especially if you are a compulsive shopper who likes to buy new and exciting things every time you go shopping. One of the first steps to making a change for the better is to realise that you need to make a budget. Setting up a budget is one of the first and hardest steps in making a plan for your money. Write down all of your bills for each month. Don't forget to add a category for entertainment or "other." If you don't put money aside for these kinds of things, you'll have to cut back on other things in your budget to have enough money for the fun things you want to do. Once you've made a list of everything you'll need to pay for, you'll need to decide how much money to set aside for each category and how much will be taken out of each paycheck.
Don't carry cash. This will help you stick to your tight budget. At the checkout, we are often persuaded to buy items that are only on sale for a dollar or two. This may not seem like much money, but if you go to several stores in a day, it can add up. If you don't carry cash, you won't be able to buy useless little things as often. If you only like to spend cash, don't take more than you need. This will help you avoid buying things in a store that you hadn't planned to buy. Your budget can be thrown off by up to $20 or $30 a week if you buy little things.
Whether you're shopping for clothes or groceries, always bring a list with estimated prices. Shopping for a week or two at a time can be much more helpful than shopping for a day or two, when it doesn't look like you're spending much money, so you buy extra things. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so you know how much of each thing you will need. Stay with your plan. Check the sale ads before you go to the store so you know what's on sale and can save money or use coupons. Whenever you can save money, you're doing yourself a favour.
Creating a budget requires self-control. Know that you are only harming yourself if you do not stick to your budget, as you may not have money for all of the expenses that you have for each month. If you only spend what you had planned to spend, you will feel better and be proud of your ability to only spend what you need.
