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This unfounded concern could put you off budgeting for no reason.
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Making a budget is really important. Having a spending plan allows you to avoid going into credit card debt by living above your means. It also enables you to focus on important financial goals by budgeting to put money into your savings and brokerage accounts.
While it is important, many people don’t actually have a budget. And there are lots of reasons for that, including a fear about what budgeting means for their use of funds.
Concerns about budgeting are incredibly common and, in fact, finance expert (and budget proponent) Dave Ramsey even admitted he had some major worries before he got started with the budgeting process.
This was Ramsey’s biggest worry about making a budget
Since Ramsey is well-known for stressing the importance of budgeting in order to manage money wisely, it may come as a shock to hear that he had concerns about making a budget of his own. But, on the Ramsey Solutions blog, he admitted to having a big fear.
“I used to worry budgeting would mean I’d never have fun with money again,” Ramsey said, indicating that he was “a natural spender” who was hesitant to get started with budgeting out of concerns that doing so would restrict him from buying what he desired.
This is a very common concern many people share — especially since the budgeting process can feel like you’re setting restrictions on yourself and since some online advice around budgeting focuses on stripping the fun out of your life by cutting spending on things like your daily latte.
If you share this fear, here’s the reality
If you’re putting off the budgeting process because, like Ramsey, you’re concerned that a budget means the end of fun spending, then you may be missing out on making an important money management move for no reason.
The reality is, budgeting absolutely does not mean you cannot have fun with money. In fact, if you try to make a budget that deprives you of spending for pleasure, you’re just wasting your time because you will never stick to it.
The purpose of budgeting shouldn’t be to prevent you from spending on things you enjoy. Instead, the goal should be to make a budget that allows you to get the most value from your money. This means you absolutely should budget for important financial goals like retirement. But, you should also allocate money to the fun spending that gives you the most joy.
You can budget for whatever you want (within reason), whether it’s fancy shoes or a car collection or days out at the movies. You just need to be sure you’re meeting your important goals and making whatever sacrifices are necessary in less-important areas to afford the things that matter most to you.
By being smart about how you budget, you aren’t making it so you can’t enjoy money or so your spending isn’t fun. If you do it right, you can enjoy your money even more than you did before you had your spending plan.
As Ramsey explained, “Having a budget gives you permission to spend—guilt free!” So, put your fears aside and start making your budget today so you can spend on the things you love without worrying that doing so will jeopardize your future.
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