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Best Budgeting Advice for Beginners

By The Busy Budgeter | 16 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links

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So you know you need a budget, but you aren’t quite sure where to start. You’re not alone! This year, let’s get your budget off on the right foot. Even if you’re a total newbie, this is the best budgeting advice for beginners.

Best budgeting advice for beginners indeed! I was a litttle skeptical thinking it would just talk about the need to save, but this actually had step by step actions to save money and tackle that budget that I can take to help me stick to my budget. Great article!

I get it. There’s all kinds of “budgeting for beginners” advice out there. There’s tons of different blogs and plans and books…and well, I’m sure you’re overwhelmed.

Sure, budgeting can be a little scary at first. Getting started requires that you to take an honest look at where you stand financially. Not easy, I know. And working on your budget might mean you have to decide to make some cutbacks or sacrifice something you want to do. But let’s face it, ignoring it and pretending like it’s not there won’t make it go away. In fact, it’ll just make the problem worse…and you’re certainly not going to feel any better, either.

So now’s not the time to drag your feet! You can do this!! I’ll break down how to budget for you into super simple baby steps.

Creating and sticking to a budget puts you in control, helps you get a handle on everything, and provides a lifeline. Your budget gives you a clear picture of where you are and a realistic place to start from. It takes some practice, just like any life skill, but I promise you can do it!

Getting Started Budgeting

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to budgeting? Just do it. That’s right, it’s time to get started! Even if you have no idea what you’re doing or how you’re going to make it work, just get out of the gate and start.

If you’re a beginning budgeter, there are tons of options and resources out there. But of course, it’s hard to cut through the noise and determine what will be the most helpful. If you’re feeling ready to start, the very best advice is in our free 90-Day Budget Boot Camp. It’s my step-by-step budgeting plan, complete with easy baby-step actions you can take to create a budget you can live with. Do it for three months and you’ll get your budget on track.

Once you go through my Budget Boot Camp, you’ll have all the tools you need to gain a clear picture of what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where your money is spent each month. You’ll be able to pinpoint concrete ways to save and areas where you might be able to stretch your budget a little to get to the things you want.

When it comes down to it, budgeting is simply that: a way to keep on top of finances so we can get to the things we want—whether that’s vacation, to pay off debt, or to retire early. Budgeting is simply a means to an end, so you can actually know where your money is going and how you’re spending it.

Writing Things Down

If you’re ready to start my 90-Day Budget Boot Camp, then sign up! It has everything you need right there. No clutter, no noise, no B.S. Just a solid step-by-step budgeting plan for beginners.

If 90 days sounds a little scary or if you’re commitment-phobic, instead, start by walking through our tutorial How to Start a Budget (When You Suck at Budgeting). This step-by-step process will walk you through one of the most important keys to budgeting: writing things down.

We often fear that budgeting is going to be difficult because of the sacrifices or having to save or going without….but really? It’s just the tracking that gets us. In fact, writing things down and keeping track of bills and spending is often the most difficult part of budgeting.

For the first few months of budgeting, you might want to walk through it on paper, rather than trying budgeting online or in an app. Paper is easier if you want to get a clear picture of where you are—and it’s the easiest way to get started. Once you’ve been tracking your budget for a few months, you can switch to any online tool or app you like. But to begin, use paper.

Following the tutorial, you’ll write down your income and gather your monthly bills and expenses to add to your list. I’ll help you set a grocery budget (that you can actually live with) and give you tips for meal plans and other ways you can stick to your budget.

We’ll also walk you through your goals, how to save up for things like vacations and fun, ways to make sure all your bills are paid (when they’re due), and how you can negotiate and find better ways to save money.

All of this starts with writing down your budget and beginning to paint a clear financial picture of where you are today, and where you want to be.

Keeping it Realistic

As a newbie working on your budget, it’s easy to get all gung-ho about it and think, “I’m going to budget all the things! I’m going to be a SUPER SAVER!”

While it’s great to have enthusiasm and excitement about your plan, you also want to stay realistic and come up with a plan you can actually live with and achieve.

If you’re married or in a relationship and sharing money, you’ll need to loop your significant other into the conversation and find ways the two of you can coordinate and support each other on the budgeting front. It’s hard to have these sorts of honest conversations sometimes, but it’s even harder to save money when one of you isn’t on board. Is it impossible? No…and a saver and a spender can definitely make it work, but you have to communicate and be realistic.

You and your significant other have to find common goals and remind each other of the big picture. You might be a better saver or feel like you want to be in charge so you know it’ll get done, but in the long term, having an honest conversation and working together will result in more success (and a happier marriage).

When you’re working on finances and your budget with another person, it’s important that you both stay realistic. Even if you think you can give up Starbucks for life, never eat out again and wear the same clothes for the next ten years, your spouse might not feel the same way or be happy that way. Keep things realistic.

Learning & Reassessing

When you’re just starting out as a beginner budgeter, you might be ready for budget basics, but advanced budgeting can seem crazy hard and frustrating. Don’t sweat it. Learn and constantly reassess and apply your new knowledge.

If you were learning a new athletic or artistic skill, you’d have to practice and apply yourself. You’d have to try things and learn and study people who are doing it well. Budgeting is just like that. It’s a life skill and you have to keep learning and growing as you go. It’s not something that just comes naturally.

There are tons of budgeting resources out there, here on Busy Budgeter and elsewhere. It can be hard to tune out the things that don’t apply to you (hint: if they ask you to PAY for budgeting tips OR if it seems way over your head—MOVE ON)…but always keep an eye out for helpful budgeting advice. There are so many great ideas for how you can save, ways you can meet your financial goals, earn money from home, and figure out how to pay off debt.

For now, though, simply start with these budgeting basics and move forward from there. If you follow the plan, you’ll so become a great budgeter and you’ll be able to reach your dreams and feel in charge of your finances…finally! It feels good, I promise. Go for it!

 

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FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: In order for us to maintain this website, some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and/or believe will add value to readers

Filed Under: Budget, Budget Basics, Money Matters Tagged With: budget, Save Money

Comments

  1. Ninja Budgeter says

    February 6 at 1:26 pm

    Great article Rosemarie! This is important, especially the “keeping it realistic” part. I held off on starting a budget for years because I set super ambitious financial goals and then fail miserably.

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      February 7 at 3:05 pm

      Absolutely! It’s way too easy to bite off more than you can chew, then give up because you feel discouraged. You can do it! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Misty says

    February 6 at 2:19 pm

    Great advice! When our small group leader talks about finances or leads FPU groups, he always tells us if the thought of a budget brings dread or fear, to call it a spending plan or get out of debt plan. I thought that was a great tip because even though budgets can open amazing doors- it’s the initial getting started that is just so hard!
    Misty recently posted…Organized Paperwork System to Prepare for TaxesMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Sandie @ Fulfilled For Less says

    February 6 at 6:28 pm

    Great tips! One of my favorites is writing it down, I am definitely a pen and paper kind of girl. I have a kind of hybrid system where I write all my monthly bills down on paper and in my planner, and I keep a running total of my debt in Evernote. Budgeting is the best way to get out of debt and achieve all those big financial goals!
    Sandie @ Fulfilled For Less recently posted…New Financial Habits: BudgetingMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      February 7 at 3:02 pm

      I can totally understand that! I’m so glad you’ve found a system that works for you 🙂

      Reply
  4. Alina@ declutterblog.com says

    February 8 at 6:21 am

    Thanks for tips, Rosemarie! I also noticed that even just recording my spendings already helped me to be conscious and reduce them.
    Alina@ declutterblog.com recently posted…How to Find Time for Housework When You Work Full-Time?My Profile

    Reply
  5. Cheryl says

    February 10 at 3:54 pm

    Thank you for the motivation! I fall on and off the budgeting bandwagon. I am two months into your 90-day Budget BootCamp! I am a paper and pencil kind of a girl as well.
    Cheryl recently posted…Decluttering Books: When you Love to ReadMy Profile

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      February 15 at 9:33 am

      That’s okay! Success isn’t so much a straight like as a rollercoaster ride – you’ll get there! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    February 23 at 9:36 pm

    These are really good tips. Although budgeting can be daunting at first, it gets SO much easier as you go.

    Reply
  7. Shirley Wood says

    February 25 at 9:20 pm

    Sometimes even though we have been budgeting for many years, we go back to the basics when we get off track. Great tips. #merrymonday
    Shirley Wood recently posted…Menu Plan #45 Ground Beef RecipesMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Nicole says

    February 27 at 10:31 pm

    We try to keep track of expenses online, it really helps to see where our money goes (plus usually surprises us at how much we actually spend on things.) Thank you for sharing your post at the #HomeMattersParty – we hope you will link up with us again on Friday.

    Reply
  9. Kacie says

    April 20 at 10:57 am

    Great read! Thank you for all of your advice. I do have a question for you. If you are just starting with your budget and your goal is to eliminate debt and save more and you are anticipating to receive an fairly decent amount of money in the near future ($6-10k), is it smarter to use that chunk of money to pay off debt, save it all, or eliminate a portion of debt and save a portion?

    Reply
  10. Jayant Kadge says

    November 18 at 10:47 am

    Lot of businesses are struggling with cashlfows management and not having a budget is the main reason. Impulsive and unplanned expenses are affecting business.

    Reply
  11. Roop Mard Ka Naya Swaroop says

    January 2 at 2:07 am

    I do not know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading your article. I will keep visiting this blog very often. I’ll use this information for my work.

    Reply
  12. Naagin Season 3 All Episodes says

    February 15 at 2:50 am

    This is nice article from your site. This post is nice facilitate for me and others also.

    Reply
  13. apne tv says

    February 26 at 2:09 am

    Nice one. It is much necessary for beginners to know the market before starting any business.

    Reply

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