Zen & the Art of Budgets

I'm a big believer in budgets. Whether it's for the government or your Saturday night party, I think it should all begin with a budget. Yet the number of people I talk to that don't have a household budgeting system is amazing. Bills come in, money goes out and by the end of the month you're standing in front of the ATM scratching your head wondering why you can't take out your remaining $17. 81.

I think one of the biggest obstacles to starting a budget for yourself is that it all seems so daunting. Between the Rich Dads, the Suzees, and the Daves, it can make your head spin a little. Everyone wants to have you make that scary list--you know, the one where you list every penny coming in and every penny going out. That list that reminds you that you spent more last month on high speed internet than you did on vegetables. That the handbag you charged could have been a 401K nest egg. "What's the difference," you think, "if I just buy a grande Caramel Macchiato? It's not like it could be my son's college fund."

The main benefit of pulling up your big girl or boy panties and taking a long hard look at what you spend every month is that most of us have the Perceived Truth about our lives and the Reality. It's like when you're trying to drop a few pounds--you think you had a good day because you went to the gym for an hour and you had a salad for lunch, but when you really see it in black and white you notice that you went to the gym at 5:15, spent 10 minutes chatting and changing, then left at 6:10. Your hour just became 45 minutes. Never mind that the salad you had came in a fried tortilla bowl that mysteriously lost one of it's sides halfway through your meal. That's why a food diary can play a big part in your weight loss success: it is your cold, hard truth.