3 Ways to MakeBudgeting More

Enjoyable

by Allan Oulate

It’s rare to see fun andfinances in the same

sentence, but budgetingdoesn’t have to be an

exercise in misery. Nothingcan take all of the work and

planning out of thebudgeting process, but it’s

relatively easy to turn itinto a game.

Turning budgeting into apleasant task instead of a

tedious chore makes itmuch easier to stick to thebudget over time, so most

people can benefit fromtaking a few steps to make

budgeting more fun.

Have LittleGoals

Most people enjoy meetingtheir goals, even whenthose goals are small.

Modern game developersmake people come back to

their apps by implementingtiny goals that the player

can fulfill every fewminutes.

There’s no reason why abudgeter can’t use a similar

technique to make theirbudgeting more fulfilling.

Start by identifying yourfinancial goals, such as

saving money for a trip, orcutting down on expenses.

Once you have identifiedthe big goals, find a way tocut them down into a set of

little goals.

For example, focus onfinding a way to put ten

dollars into the bank everyweek instead of looking for

a way to deposit onehundred dollars all at once.

Plan the budget toaccomplish these little

goals regularly.

This creates a constantsense of achievement that

makes budgeting muchmore pleasant.

Find ACommunity

Humans are pack animals,so they usually find it easier

to do things when a lot ofother people are

performing the same task.

The people in the group canoffer reassurance that

what they’re doing isworthwhile, and they can

also provide practicaladvice when necessary.

The group’s members canalso hold each other

accountable during hardtimes, which motivatespeople to stick to their

budget.

Take advantage ofhumanity’s tribal instincts

by finding other people whocare about budgeting.

Meeting with people inperson is usually best, but

an online community isalmost as good.

Groups that focus on usingcoupons or other frugalpractices are especially

useful, since they canprovide practical advice

that makes budgetingeasier in addition to

offering the support thatmakes it more enjoyable.

ChallengeYourself

Competition can motivatepeople to keep going even

when they want to quit.Competitive budgeting is

possible in a group, butmost of the benefits can also

come from challengingyourself.

This method is particularlyuseful for people who arealready comfortable with

the basics of budgeting, butare having a hard time

bringing themselves to cutthings out of the budget.

Start with a budget that youknow you can handle, andthen find something smallthat you can cut out of it. Itshould be a minor luxury,

like reducing an expensivetrip to the coffee shop with

a cheap cup from a gasstation.

Challenge yourself to cutthat item out of the budgetfor two or three weeks as a

trial period, and then seehow you feel.

Humans purchase manythings more out of habit

than any desire for them, somany people find that they

don’t miss their old luxuriesafter they break the habit.

Humans purchase manythings more out of habit

than any desire for them, somany people find that they

don’t miss their old luxuriesafter they break the habit.