Budgeting 101

By Cents Coach, Professional Idiot-Turned-Money-Guy

Let’s start with the truth: nobody wakes up excited to make a budget. No one rolls out of bed like, “YES, baby! Time to fire up Excel and face the crushing weight of my Amazon habit.” But here’s the deal — budgeting isn’t punishment. It’s not financial jail. It’s just a mirror. And if you don’t like what you see in the mirror? That’s not the mirror’s fault.

Budgeting is basically telling your money where to go before it disappears like your last paycheck. It’s not restrictive — it’s protective. Think of it like a seatbelt. Sure, it’s annoying. But it keeps you from flying through the windshield when life hits the brakes. And if you don’t budget? Well... prepare for a lot of metaphorical dental work.

Here’s the magic: when you budget, you start to see. You see that your $9.99 subscriptions have unionized and are now charging you $140/month. You realize you’re actually spending $600 a month on “quick bites” — otherwise known as fast food, gas station snacks, and the six coffees you didn’t need but definitely drank anyway. And once you see it, you can change it. That’s power.

Without a budget, you’re just guessing. And guess what? Most people are terrible at guessing. That’s why casinos exist. When you finally track your money — like, actually write it down — you might find out that your “tight budget” could fund a small yacht if you’d just stop buying junk at Target. (No shame. Target is a trap. We’ve all been there.)

So no, budgeting won’t make you cool. It won’t get you more followers or six-pack abs. But it will give you options. Options mean freedom. And freedom means you might not have to work until you’re 78, shaking fries into a bag while muttering, “I should’ve made a budget.”