We started budgeting, finally, around the time we had kids. We got tired of doing it all based on feeling, and wanted to actually know where our money was going

We started budgeting, finally, around the time we had kids. We got tired of doing it all based on feeling, and wanted to actually know where our money was going, so we could make more accurate plans. A lot of people look at budgeting as a chore, but I’ve found it to be liberating. When you sock away some money for “personal spending”, you can get a coffee and not think twice about it. You’re not wondering whether your rent or mortgage is funded. You can start funding future costs (like an annual car registration renewal) instead of being surprised by them. And if it seems like a ton of effort, it’s pretty nice when tax season comes around and all your expenses are already categorized. At the end of the day you have X expenses and Y income, with some unknowns and variations thrown in the mix. There’s no reason it has to be a mystery. You can actually make an informed choice about that latte, and balance it with your desire to save for the future, live a little now, etc.