Creating a Budget that Works with Dave Ramsey giveaway

Have you been keeping up with us on our journey to a simply organized life?  So far, we have put together a Master Account List so we have everything in one place and we have tackled our wills.  I hope you’re keeping up with us because we are not about to slack off.

Our topic for this month:  Budgeting

Do you have a budget?  Some people resist the idea of a budget.  They may think that a budget is restricting and  suffocating.  I know because once upon a time the man I married had these very thoughts.  I, on the other hand, love being on budget.  (I know, I’m a little quirky.)

For most everything financial, Dan and I have always been on the same page.  We didn’t carry debt other than our mortgage, but we weren’t really getting anywhere financially.  In fact, we often pulled from our savings.

That was when we enrolled in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University being taught at our church.  And our financial life was forever changed.

Why Set Up a Budget?

* You control where your money is going.
* Your money now works for you.
* You find great satisfaction as you are able to intentionally pay off debt and save for big purchases.
* You will be able to notice any “out of control” areas in your finances.
* You will get ahead financially because you have a plan.
* You will most likely save money!

After going through Financial Peace University (FPU), I traded my stress for financial peace.  It was and still is a great feeling to be in control of our finances.

Setting Up A Basic Budget

* Start by gathering your last year of bills.  Add up all twelve months of a particular bill, then divide by twelve.  This should be your monthly allocated amount for that expense.
* Think about how much you do (or should) spend on other categories.
* Want to check out how I budget?  I have taken out some our personal specifics, but this will give you a great start.  Download it for Free:  PDF version or customize the Excel version.
* For the first several months, work with it.  You’ll find you under-budgeted here and over-budgeted there.  It is a work in process (and quite frankly, I’m often still tweaking mine).

Financial Peace University Giveaway
 

And now, I am so excited to share with you our giveaway!  Thanks to the kind and generous folks at Financial Peace University, I have three Memberships to give away to our readers.

financial peace membership kit

What is Financial Peace University?

“We all need a plan for our money. Financial Peace University (FPU) is that plan! It teaches God’s ways of handling money. Through video teaching, class discussions and interactive small group activities, FPU presents biblical, practical steps to get from where you are to where you’ve dreamed you could be. This plan will show you how to get rid of debt, manage your money, spend and save wisely, and much more!”

The FPU classes meet all over the country for around an hour and a half each week for nine weeks.  Find a local class by going here.  Plus, you’ll be able to attend any classes again in the future.  Check out the lesson topics and preview.

I cannot more highly recommend this program.  No matter what your financial position, you will benefit from this class!  This is not some boring class.  You will enjoy Dave Ramsey’s humor and enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, go here to get a free copy of Dave Ramsey’s Guide To Budgeting.

Enter to win a Financial Peace University membership below.  Each membership is valued at $99.
The giveaway is open to U.S. Residents, 18+ (my apologies to my international readers.)  Ends Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 12:00am.

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top photo credit

Linked up with:  The Better Mom