You Might Need a Budget if …

There are a lot of misperceptions about budgeting.  We tend to think budgeting is something others need, but certainly not ourselves.

I tried to make this a funny list, but either my funny bone wasn’t fully functional, or it is hard to really make light of this topic.  Either way, here is my list of 31 signs that you might need a budget.

31 Signs that it is Time to Start Budgeting

1. You make six figures, you eat out four times a week, take fancy vacations, and bounce checks at the grocery store.
2. Live off two salaries and still need a little extra input from Master Card.
3. Your credit card bill arrives, and your bank account doesn’t have enough cash to cover the balance.
4. You wife or husband looks you square in the eye and says, ‘We need a budget’.
5. You try to tell your kids “no”, and they look at you like you just swore in front of them.
6. Kids spend money like water, and drink like Coke is free.
7. You lay your head on your pillow, but your mind refuses to rest.  Your mind is like a human calculator trying to figure out how all the expenses are going to balance together.
8. You say a prayer before opening the mailbox.
9. Your stomach turns every time you hear the phone ring.  So you answer the phone under a false identity – “Pizza Pizza, Craig speaking.”
10. You walk into the bank or past the ATM just to remind yourself of what money looks like.
11. You think to yourself – where did it all go?
12. You have to put less than $10 in your gas tank because that is all you have.
13. You feel all of these things, and then go out shopping just to feel better.
14. Money’s coming in and money’s going out, but you just can’t seem to find the leak.
15. You think making more money is the only way to solve your financial problems.
16. You throw credit card bills in the trash just so you don’t have to deal with them.
17. You think budgeting is just for broke people.
18. You’re content to eat Spam and bread when you get older.
19. Your idea of a long term financial plan is hoping that your kids make enough money to save you from your ignorance.
20. Your ATM refuses to spit out dollars.
21. Someone asks you if you have an emergency fund and you pull out your credit card.
22. Investing for the future involves a monthly ceremony where you put an extra can of Spam in the storage room.
23. You think social security will offer you the retirement of your dreams.
24. Someone asks you how much you make, and the best you can do is give them a blank stare.
25. You think loving your children means giving them everything they want.
26. You rely on your credit card to cover gaps in paychecks.
27. Your idea of saving up for a big vacation is applying for as many credit cards as possible.
28. The value of your car is more than the value of your bank account.
29. You’ve been tempted to take money out of the church contributions (instead of putting it in).
30. You stand anxiously in front of an item at the store and ask yourself – can I afford this?
31. You read this list and identify with more than 3 items.

Next week on August 23rd I’m going to be releasing an eBook on budgeting.  If you subscribe to my newsletter, you should be expecting an extra special deal on top of the already discounted release price.

Here’s what Bob from Christianpf has to say about the book:

Craig has taken an often misunderstood (and sometimes frightening) subject and has provided an extremely helpful and valuable resource for anyone wanting to create a budget. Having written about budgeting myself for years, I have not seen a more thorough resource dedicated specifically to setting up and maintaining a budget than Craig’s eBook.

If you need a budget, you are in luck because I’m about to teach you exactly how to make one – step by step.