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Staying under budget is one of the hardest parts of budgeting. Even people that are awesome at sitting down and making a budget every month struggle with sticking to it.
I struggled with it too.
I would set unrealistic goals for myself and feel awful when I couldn’t meet them. I knew that I could buy groceries for the month to feel all of us for $400. So I would set that budget and then go way over. I would feel like a failure and swear to do better next month and just repeat the cycle all over again.
Occasionally, we would have a lot of extra money in a month, either from my side hustles or Jon’s over-time. We would set our budget with higher amounts as a treat. I loved those months!
I started to notice an unusual pattern.
When I set a budget amount over what I thought was reasonable, I would spend less that month than when I set a goal just under what was reasonable.
Sound confusing? I’ll illustrate.
If I usually spent $600/month on groceries and I set a budget for next month of $500 in order to save a $100- I almost always blow the budget AND spend over the usual $600.
If I usually spend $600/month on groceries and I set a budget for next month of $700, I almost always come in under $600, (sometimes as low as $350 or 400!) despite having more money to spend.
So, when I set the budget to allow myself to spend more, I actually spend less… much less!
Weird, right?
When I restrict myself with the budget, I feel stressed and overwhelmed. I worry about making that amount work. One tiny wrong step (like forgetting my lunch and needing to buy one out), makes me feel like I’ve blown it and I may as well just do whatever I want.
It makes me feel like a failure.
The issue here isn’t the budget, it’s my attitude.
But changing the budget is much easier than changing my attitude. Changing my attitude would take years and I’m not even convinced that it’s possible. But tricking myself into the desired results works every single time for me. I’ve successfully done it before with losing weight, ordering delivery, eating fast food, and eating out.
When I set the budget over what I know I can spend, I feel empowered and motivated to “save” as much as possible. I love texting my husband “Guess what?!?!?! I’m $200 under this month in Groceries!!!!”
I feel like I’m winning. That motivates me to keep winning and to save as much as possible.
If I make a tiny wrong step, I know it won’t kill me and I move on.
And that’s half the battle folks. The problem with budgeting isn’t calculations. It’s knowing ourselves and how we respond to things. Don’t force yourself to change things about your personality that have been set in stone since your formative years. Find ways to work around them to get the end result you need.
Find a way to win.
P.S. Easy Dinners help!
If you struggle with getting super easy and cheap dinners on the table, I can tell you what’s worked for us.
You can see our favorite 15-minute meals here and then we found out about this freezer cooking service that cut our grocery budget in half.
Neither requires much cooking skill and you can save a fortune on your grocery budget!
What’s your favorite budget trick?
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I think this is a great idea! I can definitely see it working for me. When I start to do poorly, sometimes I catch myself sabotaging things almost on purpose because I’m so upset with myself.
I can see it working for me too! Food is always my weak point, especially when it comes to eating out!
I love this tip! I can see how making one mistake can blow the whole budget, but being under budget can be motivating to save more. I am definitely going to implement this strategy going forward.
I am definitely going to try and use this strategy next time I sit down with my boyfriend to budget. He’s still very new to the whole budgeting thing, so I think that this’ll make it an easier adjustment for him. Thank you 🙂
This is fascinating tip thanks for sharing. I will have to check this out.
Btw, your site is amazing and full of graphics each one more interesting than the next yet all the content is great! How do u do it.
I am very intereated in trying this. My future husband cannot save money to save his life. We’ve been trying to work on it, but I feel like I’m running out of idea. Thank you.
This is great advice! I am going to have to try it out myself. I fully agree that success with budgeting is dependent on your attitude. Shared this post.
I have a different approach to budgeting. Start a small garden plot in full sun. Plant 9 packs of broccoli and cauliflowe starts, each 2 ft apart on raised beds. In 2 months, you will have 18 huge veggies plus all the greens from the plants to eat raw in salads, cook or share. FOR a $7 investment, you will have about a $100 amount of fresh, organic produce. I have so much, I have to freeze it or give it away.
Does the $7 investment also include the water you use?
Very interesting. I think this would be true for me as well. When I start out a month by making bit cuts in our budget (because I’m trying so hard to save), I start out already feeling pinched and overwhelmed. When I just start with a clean slate, knowing I have a little cushion, I definitely have a more positive attitude. I’ll have to put that into practice this month and see if it works!
You’re perfect for this then Jill! Increase that budget and then reap the rewards!
This is a great idea! I recently added a “flexible spending” category to my budget because every month I have random expenses that I can’t account for and then I feel guilty about spending more than my fixed budget. I’ll see how this works out! 🙂
This is a great tip! I will be trying this?
Hahaha this is me! Put it into words for me though!
I love this trick. Smart girl. 😉 No wonder this goes wild on Pinterest. 🙂 Hey, have you tried thesereads yet? I’m going to clip this… see if it goes anywhere. 😉
For the past 8 months I have been trying to be healthier and more active. Because of this, I have been either walking or riding my bike to the store …. This makes me only buy necessary items and not buy those last minute “splurge” items that they have near the cashiers as I can only carry so much home. I did not realize this until later that I was unintentially saving money by doing this! ☺️
I find that I have to use cash for most things. I keep a coupon organizer in my purse and each tab has the amount I’m allowed to spend. Groceries, date night, gas money, etc. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but I also don’t end up using the money I have for groceries somewhere else. Do I break out the credit card? Yes, and the guilt isn’t good. Thanks for this budgeting idea. I’m going to try it!
That is an awesome idea. I am going to try it. Thank you!
I shop every Friday with $100/week. I have my phone’s calculator open and round up prices. If bread is $1.88 I round that up to $2. Just those few cents added to every item saves a ton at the end. Sometimes I leave spending $60 for a weeks worth of groceries.
It’s so encouraging to know I’m not the only one who stresses over tight budgets… It’s true, if there’s a month where we have extra to spend, I feel like I can control the money more.
Thanks for the encouragement!
~Karina
My trick is a *cash only* method. I put my cash for my groceries in an envelope each payday. When the cash is gone I can’t buy anymore. There’s no chance I want to get caught short at the cash register so I’m very aware of what I put in my cart.
When you under spend do you leave your money in your general account or move it to savings?
It is an interesting idea – I can definitely see it works on a phicolological level. Worth of trying. My tip though is : don’t go to the shops ! Do your weekly shopping and if you don’t have an item you require in order to prepare the food for your family – send your partner to buy this one particular item. I noticed whenever I go myself – I would go back with the whole bag of items “we may need” 😉
Budget to buy the things your family needs and save for emergency and for things that come up. So this over budget helps you spend way less thats consistency. I want that and will use this method. Thank you.
Love this trick. Shows how powerful mindset can be in influencing our spending!
This is an interesting tip. I would suggest having an advance plan for what you’re going to do with those savings. Maybe by putting 70%toward paying down debt, and adding the other 30% to entertainment or vacation fund…
Oh My Gosh. I adore you. I feel the EXACT same way about books! I’ have three in the house that will likely be finished by Friday. I’m obsessed. Glad to know it’s not just me!
Not sure if you’ll see this, but maybe once you read the books, you can sell them, even if you don’t get the full amount back, you will have some for your next books.
Oh no! Sending it now! Sorry for the delay. We got slammed with emails today. Sending it now!
Wow that’s a really weird trick that I will need to check out. Thanks for sharing!!!
Yep, this is totally me. Everyone is always freaked out by my grocery budget of $600 but I usually stay well below that and the times I’ve set the budget to $300…I would usually end up spending way more than $600 on groceries! It was insane. lol
i totally agree with this and could definitely see why this would work. Thanks for sharing. i have a feeling this will work great for me.
I spend twenty dollars a week to feed myself. No processed foods or meat. I eat whatever is in season, and buy one pantry item a week, like flour or pasta or spices for my curry. I make everything from scratch, including bread in my bred maker. I also work full time. $600 a month for food is insane! Start a garden. Make your own jams and preserves. Their is no excuse for that kind of spending unless you have ten children.
“Don’t force yourself to change things about your personality that have been set in stone since your formative years. Find ways to work around them to get the end result you need.”
I love this statement. Since before adulthood i have struggled with the battle between being highly ambitious and having lofty goals, and the reality of my procrastination and laziness!
This articles was very helpful in many ways!
It’s so important to take in to account who you are! You can’t change who you are, so you just need find a way to work around it 🙂
Hmmmmm.. I just might have to try this! And why is it ALWAYS the grocery budget? I think I rationalize like… well I want us to eat healthy… or it’s JUST vegetables.. so I can go over budget 😀
Do you make the math work out in the end to allow for this bigger budget… or trust that you will spend under what you have budgeted?
I love the mental tricks that help meet budget goals. It really does give you small wins, which keeps the motivation going! The biggest budget “a-ha” moment for me was when I started treating my personal budget like I do with my one at work… zero-based budgeting where anything I buy is given a lot of thought or it’s on the “essential” list. Then I consider the principles of the Latte Factor, which also had a big impact on my mindset. Thanks for the helpful tip!
I’ve never thought of thinking about it that way! That makes a lot of sense, though.
Exactly! If you cut down your budget too extreme too quickly it’s easier to stress out and not meet your goals. If you slowly cut back, you can trim it much more consistently every month or two.
This is an interesting tip and concept! I am sure it would work for some types of people, but others might get excited and overspend the money that they think they now have to spend!
That’s true 🙂 Thanks for your input!
You could have written this just for me!! I do that low budget deal all the time with no success…. :(. Budget boot campaign for me! #MerryMonday
Yes! Kids throw a wrench in a lot of things (but good thing they’re cute ;))
I’ve found that a lot of things with money don’t “make sense” until you start doing it. Then you realize that we’re still people and we’re fallible. Usually when our kids are screaming and flipping out. 🙂
Love this post! I think I’m the opposite though – when I set a budget, I try to ‘beat’ it by spending even less! But you’re right, it’s what works for you that’s most important!
Love this post. Mind set has so much to do with many things in our life.
I caught myself doing this using Dave Ramsey’s Every Dollar app.
I get a monthly annuity that I can count on, but then I also get a variable paycheck.
I placed the annuity in the budget, all of my budget items but not yet my wkly. pay.
I’m $300 short.
As my checks come, I will add them in & I’ll be better than fine. I’LL BE GREAT.
I read an article somewhere that said one way to appease the ADHD brain (and to increase dopamine) is by “winning.” So I definitely think you are on to something for people with ADHD or even who just lack motivation to budget – you are giving yourself a dopamine hit every time you are “winning.” So, setting yourself up to win just makes good sense.