You’ve done it.  Your budget for the upcoming month is p-e-r-f-e-c-t.  You reviewed the previous month, planned for what’s coming and honed that beautiful budget to absolute perfection.  Nothing can ruin your budget now!

Let’s flash-forward to the end of the month where you end up coming up short.  You found yourself eating out five times, your child had a surprise field trip you had to pay for, your husband’s shoes finally gave out and he needed new shoes ASAP and you were so tired you skipped grocery shopping in favor of sitting on the couch.

You went over-budget.  Big. Time.

Where did things go wrong?  

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There are four things that will ruin your budget every month if you don’t keep them in check.

Impatience Will Ruin Your Budget

This is a huge one for me!  If you are impatient going through the process of debt payoff, saving for a specific financial goal, etc., you will end up just throwing in the towel. This will lead to really bad decisions.  You will just say, “ Screw it!” and throw your budget out the window. What’s the point anyway, right?

Wrong!  Don’t be impatient!  Stick with your budget to reach your goals.  There is a reason you are doing what you are doing.  If you get impatient, you will step out of line from your budget once, and inevitably just quit altogether for the month, next three months or forever.

Stay patient.  Financial freedom is not an overnight occurrence.  It takes hard work, perseverance, and patience. 

Impulse Shopping Will Ruin Your Budget

I know how devastating this can be for your budget because I used to do it all the time.  Like, all the time. My “quick” Target runs would turn a $20 purchase into $320….for real…I did that.  Impulse shopping can be the immediate death of your budget.

I’ve even been the person who spent our debt snowball money on clothes, perfume, house decor….something other than debt.  I would constantly shoot myself in the foot.

Impulse shopping can be a tough one to break because it is stemming from a feeling of deprivation and needing a quick win.  This does not play well with budgeting and debt payoff.

Related Post:

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Hit the Checkout Lane:  Self-control Training For Impulse Shoppers

Impulse shoppers can typically come up with a super good reason for why they need to purchase what they are about to purchase.  They also can come up with some rationale for why it’s okay and can justify the purchase in 0.3 seconds flat. I know because I used to do this.

The good news is, this behavior can be changed, but until it is, budgets beware.  This is a big-budget killer!

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Comparing Yourself to Others Will Ruin Your Budget

When you compare yourself to other people, you can start to feel envious of their lifestyle and what they are able to spend money on.  But, what is important to remember is you have zero ideas of what their financial situation actually is.

When you compare yourself and your money to other people, you are going to find it very challenging to find joy in your situation and your daily life.  This will cause you to ignore your budget and try to keep up with those around you.  

“Suzy has a new outfit?  How is she able to afford that?  I have a better job than her! I deserve a new outfit too.  I didn’t budget for it, but I need it and I can afford it, I will just get fewer groceries this month.  Problem solved.”

The problem with this thinking is again, you are not abiding by your budget.  Your budget is your plan that you made to help you remember exactly where you want to spend your money during the month.  It isn’t something for you to just look at and think, “Well that was a nice idea. I’ll try again next month.”

If you are constantly comparing yourself to others, you will constantly be ignoring your budget in favor of keeping up with everyone else around you.  Stop comparing. It is not going to further your financial journey in a positive way. You will be unhappy and continue to spin your wheels in the same financial spot you are currently in.

Not Planning Will Ruin Your Budget

Planning.  Some people are planners and some people are not.  No matter where you fall on this spectrum, you need to have a plan for your money.  The budget is step one. Your budget is your roadmap for where your money will go in the coming month.  

The next step beyond just putting your budget together is paying attention to your expected expenses and preparing for them.  I call these your sinking funds. Expenses you know you will have, but don’t necessarily have every single month. These things should be planned for.

Related Posts:

5 Reasons You Need Sinking Funds

13 Sinking Funds Categories You Need in Your Budget

How to Effectively Use Sinking Funds

How to Track Your Sinking Funds

In addition to sinking funds, you should also be planning for your activities and schedule.  If you know you are going to be working late or super busy on a certain day, do not schedule a fancy homemade meal for that night.  It is definitely not going to happen. Instead, admit you will be tired and claim that night as frozen pizza night.

• It’s important to think about the logistics of your life and how that will impact your spending.
• Plan easy meals on busy nights.
• Plan to grocery shop when you are most rested and fed.
• Get up earlier to make yourself toast instead of buying expensive breakfast bars.

There are a million little things you can pay attention to that will impact your financial plan.  

Not having a plan for your money or your time and how it relates to your money will set you up for failure.  After you start putting in the effort to really think about your life during the month and plan accordingly, it will start to become second nature to you.

Do you find yourself falling into the trap of some of these behaviors?  Don’t worry! I have experienced all of them and I am living proof they can be overcome.

I always tell people, the budgets are the easy part.  The hard part is sticking to them. That requires self-control on our part to make the choice and tell ourselves, “No,” more than we would like to.  Impatience, impulse shopping, comparison and lack of planning end up being the biggest hurdles to face, but once you get these things under control, you will be unstoppable.

No one is perfect, so be sure and give yourself some grace as you work on these things.  Progress over perfection. Any progress is a step forward. Start today.

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