That changed last week. Our counselor walked us through setting up a spending plan. We set up envelopes for spending. I made the commitment to follow this budget because I truly feel it will be good for us as a couple to embrace stability in our home and for future saving. It's been a week and I am feeling the change. It's a struggle because I was used to fluidity and now I am going into envelopes and having a set amount to work with. I am not surprised that I am feeling some overwhelmed and hopeless feelings, I think that's why I was avoiding having to have a budget, it's way easier to bury your head in the sand than to be the responsible participant of a budget. I am praying now that it gets easier and less unnatural! In the meantime, I have had great experiences so far as well. It's quite rewarding, even though it's hard!! Kinda like marriage right ? ;)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Budget
Al and I have been married 6 years. We didn't establish a lot when we got married, so when we hit our lowest point last year, we decided to start establishing some things for our relationship. A way to "get off (again) on the right foot". One of those things that needed to be done, but I desperately fought it was determining a budget, and *sticking* to it. It's been something that Al has NAGGED ME ENDLESSLY ABOUT tried desperately in the most loving way possible to urge me to agree to helping him set up a budget. It wasn't that I was opposed to a budget, and it wasn't that I don't know how to have a budget (I lived on my own for a while when I was single and I ran a pretty successful budget if I do say so myself!) it's just that it was always a source of conflict for us, because we view money spending completely differently and add the fact that Al's income being a self employed electrician is always changing, I just couldn't wrap my head around getting it on paper. I will openly admit I enjoyed openly spending (justified of course!) and I always had money to spend, so we slid by for 6 years without a budget.
That changed last week. Our counselor walked us through setting up a spending plan. We set up envelopes for spending. I made the commitment to follow this budget because I truly feel it will be good for us as a couple to embrace stability in our home and for future saving. It's been a week and I am feeling the change. It's a struggle because I was used to fluidity and now I am going into envelopes and having a set amount to work with. I am not surprised that I am feeling some overwhelmed and hopeless feelings, I think that's why I was avoiding having to have a budget, it's way easier to bury your head in the sand than to be the responsible participant of a budget. I am praying now that it gets easier and less unnatural! In the meantime, I have had great experiences so far as well. It's quite rewarding, even though it's hard!! Kinda like marriage right ? ;)
That changed last week. Our counselor walked us through setting up a spending plan. We set up envelopes for spending. I made the commitment to follow this budget because I truly feel it will be good for us as a couple to embrace stability in our home and for future saving. It's been a week and I am feeling the change. It's a struggle because I was used to fluidity and now I am going into envelopes and having a set amount to work with. I am not surprised that I am feeling some overwhelmed and hopeless feelings, I think that's why I was avoiding having to have a budget, it's way easier to bury your head in the sand than to be the responsible participant of a budget. I am praying now that it gets easier and less unnatural! In the meantime, I have had great experiences so far as well. It's quite rewarding, even though it's hard!! Kinda like marriage right ? ;)
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Good for you, Karrie! I wish I could do this. I desperately need to. Your right, it's so easy to stick your head in the sand and ignore it...I'm such a careless spender. We would be so much better off on a budget but Kev is even worse at spending money than me!
ReplyDeleteYay, thats wonderful. I have friends that do verrrry well with the envelope system & love it! What a great reminder! xo LA
ReplyDeleteI've actually heard great things about the envelope method of budgeting! I hope it works for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteHey Karrie,
ReplyDeleteTotally hear you on the budget thing. We are making these changes too...soon...once we unpack ;-) We did the envelope method a few years ago and got my husbands car paid off really quick...it can work...but like everything it's a challenge! :-) Thanks for your sweet comments on my blog! ~Kimberly