In life the people that run into the most trouble are the people who have no real plan. The other day I asked my friend if he was making $5,000 / month what would do with it or how would his life change. He reported he’d get a new bedroom set and maybe a car. I kept a poker face, but my jaw dropped clean off my face in my mine. I then asked what if he moved to $10,000 dollars per month, how would things change in your life. His answer was the same; new cars, cloths, etc. I had to ask him directly for what I was looking for, what would he do with his time if money came in monthly like a lottery check not taken in at one time.

The bottom line is that this guy had no real plan in place and that kind of bothered me because of what I know his goals are in life. So the important thing in budgeting for the future both for this life and the one to come is to have a detailed plan. I always tell people to copy God in setting up a plan as he did in Genesis chapter one. In that chapter we get the chance to read how God planned to set up the earth. So how do you start a budget?

Starting a budget is pretty simple. If you already have an income stream via work or business and you already have bills in place then it becomes even easier. Add up all your bills, both strong and soft bills and what you have left over make categories and put them in an account for those things. Categories could consist of cable TV, movies, drumming lessons, etc. so you can carefully begin budgeting. I’m assuming you are being one hundred percent honest with yourself in the amount of cash flow you have for budgeting.

Focus on the vitals: Budgeting can be easy but setting it up can be the hard part. I am told by the financial professionals to focus on the vitals. This means focus on budgeting on things that are very important. If you overlook a vital and budget for a minimal category, if a ton of bricks fall on you; it can totally mess the fluidity and structure of your budget all together.

This is usually one of the ways people completely fall off the boat. In the bible, God tells us not to make any vows to Him because He demands we keep it, even if it cost us our own lives. So we should just do the vitals’s, biblically speaking, that is keeping the commandments; in financial world that is paying the important stuff first. If we try to avoid the vitals and go for additional categories, if something falls on you hard, which stops you from the vitals; you can doom yourself in such circumstances.

Stick to the script Lastly, stick to the script; do not get glaze eyes when you walk through your favorite store. If you have a category for blowing cash on your lust and desires; go right ahead but do not go past the limit. Tell yourself that is the first thing you’re going to get next month and wait on it. Many people go for the extra donut and that totally invites what is called weakening decisions; and it spirals out of control from there. In movies, only good actors are allowed to deviate from the script or add to it. Build the strength first (of being a good actor or actress), and then go from there but in budgeting for the future, stick to the script. This is how you create a foundation in your financial life; but first it starts with a plan and the strength to follow it.

Koko Ishe