Stop Complicating Everything

Again and again, I hear the same things. “It is so hard.” That is what my kid said to me when he started running, but if you look at that picture now, it certainly doesn't look that hard. Why because he just started doing it.

Really whatever you have said that too, unless you are doing something that few people have done, it really is not.

When I started down this path of coaching, I’ve heard it from so many people, budgeting is hard, home finance is difficult… On and on I could go and in all reality, when you break it down it is not that hard, it is the fact that we are not willing to put in the work to do it. We are not willing to look at the numbers, we would rather turn our heads the other way and ignore it, hoping it will fix itself.

Last I checked most people can add and subtract. I’m a math nerd, fine, but really it does not take a math nerd to punch 2 numbers in a calculator and hit the add/subtract button. That is what budgeting consists of. If it is really that hard, go ahead get paid, cash out your check and put money in your wallet. The great things about that is that now the cashiers do the work for you. All you have to do is divide up the 20s from the beginning.

The acronym KISS goes around all the time. Really, that is what it comes down to, just keep it simple. I even put it in the top of the budgeting sheets I use. Do no over complicate things and create a category for every little expense. Put in the ones that you need to have tight control over and focus on them. If you find there are others, then add controls for those, but do not start off with 20 categories, trust me you will go crazy at the grocery store or Walmart especially. Pay for all your goods and then divide it up based on your budget categories. Please, lump some things together.

Do you really need to know how much you spend on laundry detergent a month, cleaning products, etc.? That is what I’m talking about. If you buy your products generally from the same store then just lump the budget items together.

I know Ramsey has been promoting and driving his EveryDollar app lately, several webinars on budgeting and always promoting it if you listen to the show. But truly there are lots of ways to budget. I have nothing against the EveryDollar app. It is by far the most simple budgeting app out there. I’ve used Quicken, Mint, YNAB, Paper and probably a few others. YNAB is my current standard because it just works better for me. To be honest though it probably took me at least 3-4 months to get used to it and make it work. Everyone is different and my encouragement for you is to try out different ones and find what works best for you and your situation.

Enough rambling on budgeting, my message to you is do not make is complicated. Just break it down and start simple. If you do it that way you will find the pathway to success. Keep thinking everything is hard and you will get nothing done. Come back next week as I continue on this simplicity idea, it goes well beyond budgeting alone, this applies to our lives, our work, our health...Everything!