How to Make a Budget That Actually Works for You

Let's go back to the beginning of your money journey. This is you, going through life with no money plan and no knowledge of how money really works.

You have a job and earn an income, but everything seems to fly into and out of your bank account without even stopping to say, how do you do?

So you're fed up with never moving forward and start to learn about money. You find those easily Googled catchphrases that all of the big-name financial experts use, and even I have used them on my channel.

Things like paying yourself first, spending less than you earn, paying off your debt, living debt-free, creating a budget and sticking to it, and planning for future expenses.

All of these are excellent threads of advice that, when woven together, weave nicely to form a net for your stick.

The principles of that net, if you execute, those principles will lead to financial success for most people. But wait a minute. I have woven my net. I know all the things, but I still can't seem to get my budget to work, and I can't seem to get ahead.

You're probably asking yourself, Sally and I sat in the exact same financial class at church, yet she's catching money in her net, and my net is still empty.

Your net may have a hole in it. A net with a hole in it is having all of the knowledge without addressing the specific issues you may face, like ADHD, depression, anxiety, grief, and trauma.

That hole in your financial health, or is, in this example, your financial net, may be presenting in the form of overspending on restaurants, a shopping addiction, disorganization, and getting your bills paid on time.

If you were living too large for the amount of income that you bring in in a month. In modern terms, that would be living a luxe life on a beer budget. Yeah, I went there.

Let me be transparent for a minute, tell you about my holes, and give you an example. I have ADHD and struggle with complex PTSD. I spent five years as a budget analyst for a multi-million dollar company. I facilitated Financial Peace University.

I knew all the things to weave a perfectly functioning financial net, but I still would have no savings and pennies in my bank account five days before payday every month. My net had multiple holes in it.

I had to identify how these parts of my story manifested in my daily life and money habits.

That required getting very honest with myself and working diligently on behavior modifications for my ADHD and lots of trauma therapy for my PTSD.

As a side note, and for full transparency, even while I was writing this video, just telling you I have complex PTSD gave me a low-level trauma response, and I had to take a break from writing and deal with it. From you to me, it's okay not to be okay sometimes. You've got to address your specific needs.

Some people's holes in their net are as simple as lacking direction, purpose, and contentment in their life. And I say as simple as, but those can be big problems and lead to major depression and anxiety. So they're not small problems.

If you have a spouse, save this and watch it again. You're a team. Your net is bigger, but it may have more holes in it because of both of you. Start digging and digging deep. Get honest with yourself and seek help in specific areas that are troublesome to you.

A financial coach, a life coach, and a therapist are all great tools to help you along the way. I found my therapist on BetterHelp; they have financial aid if needed, and I did. This is not sponsored at the time that I'm publishing this video, and I am NOT an affiliate of theirs.

Don't give up on learning how to make a budget that actually works for you.

Once you've identified specific areas of your life that may be causing holes in your finances, you can begin to work to patch the net.

How to make a budget that actually works for you

Give yourself grace. What are you working on to make your budget work for you? Share your plans and goals in the comments below.