• About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • New? Start here!
  • How To Budget
    • Ways to Save Money
    • Set Up A Budget
    • Stick To A Budget
    • Budget Printables
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals
    • Easy Lunch Ideas
    • Meal Planning
  • Home Organization
    • Home Management
    • Save Time
    • Home Routines
    • Home Management Binder
  • Make Money
    • Work From Home
    • Side Jobs
    • Money Making Apps
    • Hobbies That Make Money
  • Shop
↑

The Busy Budgeter

A balanced life for busy people!

  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • How to Budget
  • New? Start here!
  • Home Organization
  • Make Money
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals

One Weird Trick to Stay Under Budget (Every Single Month!)

By The Busy Budgeter | 48 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links

34419 shares
  • Facebook363
  • Twitter
  • Yummly

Update: 4/5/20 I know how stressful finances are right now with stay at home orders and the pandemic. I also know that I’m uniquely qualified to help you. I’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle (after trying and failing for years), by teaching them how to work with their unique personality to actually stick to a budget. 

I’m giving you access to the insanely popular 90 Day Budget Bootcamp for FREE. Because I know that this program will change every aspect of your life. Take a look around. Because this is the LAST DAY you will ever sit around worrying about money. Let’s get to work. 

Join the 90-day Budget Bootcamp for FREE here… 

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?

P.S. If you’re feeling like no matter what you do you can’t get your house under control (not to mention your budget!) we completely understand.  If you are sick of spending all day “catching up”, only to have it completely trashed again in a few days, then you should check out our FREE training “Why Your House is Trashed: The 3 Step Shortcut to Transform Your Home For Good With No Extra Time” which will walk you through how to break that cycle once and for all.

The training will walk you step by step through the three foundational routines that will help you manage all aspects of your home no matter how bad your situation is right now. 

Implementing this core foundation allows you to work with your personality (and your specific situation) to create a custom plan to manage your dishes, laundry, schedule book, meal planning, budgeting, and a cleaning routine in less than one hour a day. You read that right, ONE HOUR A DAY.

If you want to take it a step further, we can teach you how to automate a ton of stuff in your home (without paying for it), giving you back HOURS of your life (yes, even your crazy life!). Then once you get the foundation set, we move on to more complex skills like meal planning, budgeting, and cleaning.

 This is a proven system that’s been field-tested by thousands of people. People that have tried everything and could never keep their house clean or stick to a budget. 

Like Jenn, who said “I used to struggle with absolutely everything. I married a man with 4 amazing kids and suddenly found myself drowning in dishes, laundry, and cleaning. There was NEVER enough money to cover everything and cooking meals that everyone would eat was impossible.” 

“Then my dad got cancer and I also became his caregiver. The house and my stress level went from bad to worse overnight.  I got the Hot Mess to Home Success course in desperation sitting in an ER waiting room at 3 am. I thought there was no way it could really help me since my situation was so unique with 4 step kids and being a caregiver for my Dad.”

“I had probably always been a hot mess, but this was a whole new low for me. Fast forward three months into the course and I meal plan regularly and stick to it (that’s never happened before), I use a planner every day, I have no dishes and laundry backed up (!) and I have significantly more time to do the things that matter (like helping my family battle cancer). You don’t even realize how much of a difference this stuff makes until it becomes your lifeline. I can’t imagine going back to how I used to live and I’m glad I never have to. I’m really grateful for that 3 am purchase!”

 If you are ready to get started, you can sign up for the FREE one-hour training “Why Your House is Trashed: The 3 Step Shortcut to Transform Your Home For Good With No Extra Time” here…

 

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps keep the Busy Budgeter up and running. Read my full disclosure policy here.disclosure policy here.

More You'll Love:

  • The Best Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your Holiday Gift List!The Best Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your Holiday Gift List! With the holiday season right around the corner, I must say that I love getting in the […]
  • 8 Ways to Build Your Debt Snowball and Pay Off Debt Fast8 Ways to Build Your Debt Snowball and Pay Off Debt Fast Debt sometimes feels like being trapped in an avalanche. You look for footholds and […]
  • Budgeting for a Baby: Money-Saving Tips for New MomsBudgeting for a Baby: Money-Saving Tips for New Moms Five years ago, we welcomed our baby boy! Becoming a mom was wonderful, amazing and […]
  • Sticking to a Budget When Your Motivation is Zapped: 6 Steps to SuccessSticking to a Budget When Your Motivation is Zapped: 6 Steps to Success So, you're really trying to commit to your budget. GO YOU! But despite your hard work, […]
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, Budget Basics, Save Money Tagged With: budget, Save Money

Comments

  1. Jamie @ Medium Sized Family says

    November 2 at 3:39 am

    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.
    Jamie @ Medium Sized Family recently posted…Work the Plan: Goals for the Week 11/2My Profile

    Reply
    • Ms. Frugal Asian Finance says

      April 16 at 3:07 pm

      I can see it working for me too! Food is always my weak point, especially when it comes to eating out!
      Ms. Frugal Asian Finance recently posted…Why I Don’t Plan to Be A Stay-At-Home MomMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Leigh says

    November 5 at 6:21 pm

    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.
    Leigh recently posted…Prepare Your Home for Holiday GuestsMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Meagan @ okay now breathe says

    November 10 at 12:53 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jayme Cross says

    November 16 at 5:49 pm

    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.

    Reply
  5. Siarra says

    December 15 at 2:53 pm

    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.

    Reply
  6. Charissa says

    December 23 at 9:07 am

    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.

    Reply
  7. Laurel says

    December 31 at 11:06 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 19 at 10:15 pm

      Does the $7 investment also include the water you use?

      Reply
  8. Alyssa says

    January 6 at 2:48 pm

    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!
    Alyssa recently posted…Simply Delicious Weeknight Chili Recipe (with a Secret Ingredient)My Profile

    Reply
  9. The Busy Budgeter says

    January 16 at 3:27 pm

    You’re perfect for this then Jill! Increase that budget and then reap the rewards!

    Reply
  10. Katie says

    January 16 at 5:51 pm

    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! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Darcie says

    January 19 at 8:38 pm

    This is a great tip! I will be trying this?

    Reply
  12. Allyson says

    February 5 at 1:52 am

    Hahaha this is me! Put it into words for me though!

    Reply
  13. Hilary says

    February 6 at 10:01 am

    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. 😉

    Reply
  14. Linda says

    February 8 at 10:51 pm

    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! ☺️

    Reply
  15. Summer says

    February 16 at 10:06 pm

    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!

    Reply
  16. LuAnn says

    February 26 at 7:49 pm

    That is an awesome idea. I am going to try it. Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Elle says

    March 3 at 11:47 pm

    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.

    Reply
  18. Karina says

    March 24 at 10:34 am

    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

    Reply
  19. Cameron says

    March 26 at 11:40 am

    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.

    Reply
  20. Kirstin says

    March 26 at 12:35 pm

    When you under spend do you leave your money in your general account or move it to savings?

    Reply
  21. Sylwia says

    March 27 at 7:32 am

    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” 😉

    Reply
  22. lucia says

    March 27 at 11:00 pm

    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.

    Reply
  23. Stefanie OConnell says

    June 21 at 10:46 am

    Love this trick. Shows how powerful mindset can be in influencing our spending!

    Reply
  24. Clc says

    July 23 at 8:08 pm

    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…

    Reply
  25. The Busy Budgeter says

    August 9 at 9:27 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Angela says

      September 5 at 6:52 pm

      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.

      Reply
  26. The Busy Budgeter says

    August 9 at 9:29 pm

    Oh no! Sending it now! Sorry for the delay. We got slammed with emails today. Sending it now!

    Reply
  27. Mustard Seed Money says

    October 16 at 5:51 pm

    Wow that’s a really weird trick that I will need to check out. Thanks for sharing!!!
    Mustard Seed Money recently posted…Work for Two Million Dollars or Retire Early?My Profile

    Reply
  28. Jessi Fearon says

    November 4 at 4:23 pm

    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

    Reply
  29. Shae says

    November 29 at 7:00 pm

    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.

    Reply
  30. Mary says

    December 13 at 1:00 am

    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.

    Reply
  31. Katy says

    January 4 at 11:21 am

    “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!

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      January 6 at 9:24 am

      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 🙂
      The Busy Budgeter recently posted…15 Minute Easy Beef StroganoffMy Profile

      Reply
  32. Amy @ These Wild Acres says

    January 19 at 12:13 pm

    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?

    Reply
  33. Misty says

    January 21 at 8:28 am

    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!
    Misty recently posted…5 Tips to Get Your Husband on Board with a BudgetMy Profile

    Reply
  34. Alexis @FITnancials says

    February 10 at 6:46 pm

    I’ve never thought of thinking about it that way! That makes a lot of sense, though.

    Reply
  35. Stephen says

    March 16 at 10:29 pm

    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.
    Stephen recently posted…How To Make The Most Money In Professional SportsMy Profile

    Reply
  36. Alexandra | The Happy Life Formula says

    April 3 at 3:01 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • The Busy Budgeter says

      April 5 at 2:02 am

      That’s true 🙂 Thanks for your input!

      Reply
  37. Megan says

    May 14 at 10:01 am

    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

    Reply
  38. The Busy Budgeter says

    June 1 at 5:35 pm

    Yes! Kids throw a wrench in a lot of things (but good thing they’re cute ;))

    Reply
  39. Jim Wang says

    March 15 at 8:32 am

    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. 🙂
    Jim Wang recently posted…Dollar Store Guide to Health and Wellness: Five You Should Buy, Six You Should SkipMy Profile

    Reply
  40. Yaz Purnell says

    April 16 at 12:04 pm

    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!

    Reply
  41. Janet Stelly says

    May 29 at 1:48 am

    Love this post. Mind set has so much to do with many things in our life.

    Reply
  42. Pam says

    August 3 at 9:11 am

    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.

    Reply
  43. Arlin says

    March 9 at 3:25 pm

    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.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Recent Posts

Free 2023 Printable Goal Calendar And Workbook

Free 2023 Printable Goal Calendar And Workbook

February 4th, 2023

Free Hourly Printable Schedule Templates (Editable)

Free Hourly Printable Schedule Templates (Editable)

January 17th, 2023

100+ Lunch Ideas For Field Trips (+No Cooler Options)

100+ Lunch Ideas For Field Trips (+No Cooler Options)

January 5th, 2023

Cheap and Easy Costume Ideas for Adults and Kids.

Cheap and Easy Costume Ideas for Adults and Kids.

October 13th, 2022

Easy Monday Night Dinners - Proven Brainless Dinner Ideas.

Easy Monday Night Dinners - Proven Brainless Dinner Ideas.

October 10th, 2022

Busy Budgeter Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Ready to save a TON of money?

Get step by step budget help with the FREE 90 day budget bootcamp!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

  • How To Budget
    • Ways to Save Money
    • Set Up A Budget
    • Stick To A Budget
    • Budget Printables
  • Easy Meals
    • 15 Minute Meals
    • Easy Lunch Ideas
    • Meal Planning
  • Home Organization
    • Home Management
    • Save Time
    • Home Routines
    • Home Management Binder
  • Make Money
    • Work From Home
    • Side Jobs
    • Money Making Apps
    • Hobbies That Make Money
Copyright ©2023, The Busy Budgeter. All Rights Reserved. Contact Rosemarie@busybudgeter.com. Privacy Policy
Design by Pixel Me Designs