B is for Budget: A-Z of Simple Living

Mindfulness

Jan 4

Written By

B is for Budgeting: A-Z of Simple Living This January, we're taking an in-depth look at the why and how of simplicity with the A-Z of Simple Living. If you want to make 2015 the year you create a simpler, slower life, why not join us? I firmly believe that in order to create a simpler life, your ducks need to be in a row when it comes to your finances. And I don't mean you need to be earning a certain amount of money or have a certain figure in your savings account.But in order to create a simpler, less stressful life you do need to have an honest understanding of your financial situation. That is, all income, expenses and what (if any) debt you have.What all that means, really, is that you need to understand where your money comes from, how much of it there is and - most importantly - where it goes.This isn't an easy ask. For many of us, money is a constant stress and regardless of our situation we often feel as though there is never quite enough. When you're faced with bills, groceries, mortgages, rent, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, school books, new shoes, broken water heaters, chicken feed... it can be so tempting to simply stick our heads in the sand and our hands in our wallets.But once you understand how much money is coming in, what your expenses really are and what financial goals you have, you can move forward and create a realistic budgeting system that works for you.Fewer sleepless nights spent worrying about money? Sounds good!A couple of years ago I wrote a three-part series on how to manage your household budget. Rather than re-hashing it here (there's a lot of information - but don't worry, it's easy to follow) you can check out the three parts here: