Budgeting 101: Take Control of Your Finances
3 mins read

Key Insights 


1. Master Your Money: Budgeting is the cornerstone of financial freedom, especially crucial for young investors.
2. Beyond Earnings: Financial prosperity isn't just about earning more; it's about managing what you have.
3. Tailored Techniques:  Discover popular budgeting methods and find one that resonates with your lifestyle.
4. Avoid the Pitfalls: Even seasoned budgeters can make mistakes. Learn what they are to steer clear.
5. Empower Your Future: For young investors, understanding budgeting can set the stage for a future of financial success.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Why is Budgeting Important?
  3. The Basics of Budgeting
  4. Popular Budgeting Methods
  5. Tools to Assist in Budgeting
  6. Common Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid
  7. Tips for Young Investors
  8. Conclusion

Introduction


Ever had that sinking feeling when you check your bank balance at the end of the month and wonder where all your money went? Well, we all have been there! 

But to stay there for longer and doing nothing about it can hamper not just our financial state but our overall well-being too.

Because having a tough time with money is bad but doing nothing about it can be worse. What should be done then? You can’t get a higher-paying job overnight or win some lottery and solve your money issues magically. 

Here’s what you can do! You can analyze why these money problems are arising in the first place. Once you find the root cause, dealing with it will be very easy. 

Makes sense, right? So to find the core problem and get insight into your financial situation take the help of a Budget.

When you know where all your money is going, you can make informed and wise decisions in regard to it. 

A budget helps you understand your income, expenses, and where you might be overspending. And, with this information at your fingertips, you can make conscious decisions about your financial priorities.

2. Why is Budgeting Important?

Imagine getting lost in an unknown terrain and suddenly getting access to a map. You will easily reach your destination then, right? Well, a budget serves the same purpose! In the midst of debt, bills, and financial stress; it works like a roadmap.

It helps you keep track of your income and expenses, ensuring that your money is used wisely.

By creating and sticking to a budget, you can save for important goals, avoid debt, and be prepared for unexpected expenses. 

It not only provides a sense of control and reduces stress but also provides: 

  1.  Visibility: A clear budget is a financial mirror, showcasing where every dirham is spent. This transparency helps identify wasteful expenditures and habits that can be curbed.

  2. Savings: Regular budgeting ensures you're not just spending what you earn but are actively setting aside funds for future requirements, emergencies, or investment opportunities.

  3. Debt Management: With a budget, you can avoid accumulating unnecessary debts, like credit card debt from impulsive purchases. If you have existing loans, budgeting helps prioritize repayments and reduces interest burdens.

  4. Financial Goals: Be it short-term goals like a vacation or long-term ones like retirement planning; budgeting acts as a roadmap, guiding you towards achieving all the types of milestones.

3. The Basics of Budgeting

Now, let's break down the basics of budgeting. A budget is like a plan for your money. It helps you see where your money comes from, where it goes, and what you want to do with it. 

After you get this information, you can make your money work better for you, avoid impulse buying, spend only on necessary items, and move ahead in your wealth-building journey.

These steps can help you get started:

  1. Track your income: Understand your total monthly earnings. This isn't just your salary but also your side hustles, dividends from investments, or any passive income sources.

  2. List fixed expenses: Regular, non-negotiable monthly outgoings, such as rent, mortgage payments, utilities, and insurance premiums, are fixed expenses. Listing them helps you understand how much of your income is already committed.

  3. Identify variable expenses: These are expenditures that can vary month-to-month. Examples include restaurant bills, shopping expenses, and leisure activities. While they can fluctuate, tracking them ensures they don't spiral out of control.

  4. Set savings & investment goals: Determine a fixed percentage or amount of your monthly income to be allocated towards savings or investments. This ensures you’re accumulating wealth and moving towards financial growth.

  5. Adjust and review: Financial situations can change—a new job, a sudden expense, or a financial windfall. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your budget with respect to these situations ensures that your budget remains relevant.

4. Popular Budgeting Strategies

You will find hundreds of Budgeting strategies on the internet but it's important to remember that everyone’s financial goals and aspirations are different.

So if some strategy worked for person X it’s not necessary that it will work for you too. Therefore, before jumping to any strategy see if that technique aligns with your own financial objectives. 

Some strategies that suit most people’s financial state are: 

  1.  The 50/30/20 Rule: This simple rule dictates allocating 50% of your income to essential needs (like rent and groceries), 30% to personal wants and debt repayments (like dining out or hobbies), and the remaining 20% to savings and investments.

  2. b. Zero-Based Budgeting: This method ensures every dollar is accounted for. At the month's end, you shouldn't have any unallocated money. This encourages efficient use of income and curbs waste.

  3. Envelope System: A more tactile method, where you allocate cash for different spending categories in separate envelopes. Once the cash in an envelope is used up, no further spending occurs in that category for the month.

5. Tools to Assist in Budgeting

Every task becomes easier when there's a tool to do it. This principle holds true for budgeting as well. 

Budgeting tools are like helpers that simplify the process of managing your finances. They come in the form of smartphone apps to old-fashioned spreadsheets, and they all have their unique advantages. 

But again, finding the right budgeting tool depends on how you prefer to keep track of your money.

Let's explore some of these budgeting tools to help you choose the one that best suits your style and needs.

  1. Budgeting Apps: Digital tools like Mint or YNAB offer automated tracking by syncing with bank accounts, categorizing expenses, and providing insights into spending habits.

  2. Spreadsheets: For those who prefer manual tracking, spreadsheets offer flexibility. One can create custom categories, set reminders, and make projections.

  3. Financial Planners: These professionals provide personalized advice, helping create a budget based on your specific financial situation, goals, and needs.

6. Common Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid

We all make mistakes but if we don’t learn from them, things can things can spiral out of control. This holds true for budgeting as well. 

Mistakes in managing your finances are common, but recognizing and understanding them is the key to improving your financial situation and achieving your goals. 

So, let's explore some of these common budgeting mistakes, learn from them, and ensure your financial journey is on the right track.

  1. Not Reviewing Regularly: Financial situations evolve. Failing to review and adjust your budget means it might become outdated or irrelevant.

  2. Forgetting Infrequent Expenses: Annual subscriptions, quarterly bills, or occasional maintenance costs can disrupt a budget if not accounted for.

  3. Being Too Rigid: While discipline is vital, a budget shouldn't be so strict that it can't accommodate unexpected expenses or occasional splurges.

Conclusion

Did you know that a whopping 39% of people don’t save anything because their expenses don’t allow it?

Tracking what comes in and what goes out and creating a note of it is extremely important because it gives an insight into your financial situation. 

Initially, it might feel like a lot of effort. Tracking every penny and noting it down. But as you move forward, you will get shocking revelations.  

And, once you get clarity of your situation, you can take actionable steps to make it better. So start creating a budget not from next month, but today itself.

RuDo aims to empower people with financial knowledge and help them achieve financial wellness. And, for this, we simplify complex financial terms in fun comics, stories, and reels.

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