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3 Ways to MakeBudgeting More
Enjoyable
by Allan Oulate
It’s rare to see fun andfinances in the same
sentence, but budgetingdoesn’t have to be an
exercise in misery. Nothingcan take all of the work and
planning out of thebudgeting process, but it’s
relatively easy to turn itinto a game.
Turning budgeting into apleasant task instead of a
tedious chore makes itmuch easier to stick to thebudget over time, so most
people can benefit fromtaking a few steps to make
budgeting more fun.
Have LittleGoals
Most people enjoy meetingtheir goals, even whenthose goals are small.
Modern game developersmake people come back to
their apps by implementingtiny goals that the player
can fulfill every fewminutes.
There’s no reason why abudgeter can’t use a similar
technique to make theirbudgeting more fulfilling.
Start by identifying yourfinancial goals, such as
saving money for a trip, orcutting down on expenses.
Once you have identifiedthe big goals, find a way tocut them down into a set of
little goals.
For example, focus onfinding a way to put ten
dollars into the bank everyweek instead of looking for
a way to deposit onehundred dollars all at once.
Plan the budget toaccomplish these little
goals regularly.
This creates a constantsense of achievement that
makes budgeting muchmore pleasant.
Find ACommunity
Humans are pack animals,so they usually find it easier
to do things when a lot ofother people are
performing the same task.
The people in the group canoffer reassurance that
what they’re doing isworthwhile, and they can
also provide practicaladvice when necessary.
The group’s members canalso hold each other
accountable during hardtimes, which motivatespeople to stick to their
budget.
Take advantage ofhumanity’s tribal instincts
by finding other people whocare about budgeting.
Meeting with people inperson is usually best, but
an online community isalmost as good.
Groups that focus on usingcoupons or other frugalpractices are especially
useful, since they canprovide practical advice
that makes budgetingeasier in addition to
offering the support thatmakes it more enjoyable.
ChallengeYourself
Competition can motivatepeople to keep going even
when they want to quit.Competitive budgeting is
possible in a group, butmost of the benefits can also
come from challengingyourself.
This method is particularlyuseful for people who arealready comfortable with
the basics of budgeting, butare having a hard time
bringing themselves to cutthings out of the budget.
Start with a budget that youknow you can handle, andthen find something smallthat you can cut out of it. Itshould be a minor luxury,
like reducing an expensivetrip to the coffee shop with
a cheap cup from a gasstation.
Challenge yourself to cutthat item out of the budgetfor two or three weeks as a
trial period, and then seehow you feel.
Humans purchase manythings more out of habit
than any desire for them, somany people find that they
don’t miss their old luxuriesafter they break the habit.
Humans purchase manythings more out of habit
than any desire for them, somany people find that they
don’t miss their old luxuriesafter they break the habit.