Does the word budget make your heart race and your palms sweaty? Do you want to run far away from having to budget? Maybe you have a phobia of money or maybe you just really hate to budget.

Why does this word cause so many people to panic? It's not easy to budget. I have spent a couple months now trying to track spending so I can set a realistic budget based on average expenses. Then we have to stick to that and with two of us spending, that's not always easy.

What is the hardest part of budgeting and living by that plan for you? 

Wow, Brandy, you could do William F Buckley, Jr a turn in vocabulary!  My collegiate dictionary doesn't list Chremat....

I start out my month (when I receive my Social Security Disability check on the 3rd, as today) with 2 rolls of quarters for the laundry plus $30 in fives in my purse.  The $30 gets used up gradually & that's it for my personal allowance.  My Food Stamps come in on the 1st.  I keep track of them with a Post-It.  The rest of my money is disbursed through my Direct Deposit checking account.  I have an arrangement with my landlord to pay rent on the 3rd, same relaztionship with my liaison physician.  My phone & electricity bill are debited; my ISP is put on my credit card.  I pay off my credit card the day that it comes (BTW, did you know that if you go to a branch of the issuing bank, your payment is credited the same day?).

What does all of that have to do with budgeting?  Well, I write down every penny that I spend in my ledger book.  At the end of the month, I add all teh expenses & then subtract my income (rebates, SSDIB, Food Stamps, & anything else that comes my way).  If I don't like the resulting figure (if it's less than $10), I redouble my efforts to be within my means the following month.

This "upside-down budgeting" is all that will work for me.  I agree with you & many other people that standard budgeting is nigh well impossible to live with.

I figured in this day, there seems to be a phobia for everything. had to run through the net to find one. There are a few articles on it, it is supposed to mean fear of money though I saw it used for fear of money management as well.

You have to do whatever works and gets the expenses paid.
 
My biggest frustration is Frank's work expenses. I can budget all I like but the expenses will vary and I have no control over it at all. Agreeing on amounts for each area has also been a task.

Much like your work expenses- by the way, I cringed at the $300 in tools your dh had to spend lately- I hate the unexpected- the medical, the $800 car repair, the car crash we had where, although the other driver was FIVE TIMES the legal limit drunk, we had to pay the medical and car deductibles-

I finally have an emergency fund of $700, I think we will use most of it this month, our fridge leaked and now we have to pull up subfloor that is rotten, although neither one of us knows what we are doing.  We did find a nice stick on tile at Menards that looks a little like stone-

The regular budget, Christmas, birthdays, all do not bother me one bit, they are expected. As a matter of fact, they are kind of fun, I do like math and numbers. The unexpected, although we have to expect them to a certain extent, drive me crazy, that's when I end up spending too much time on Quicken looking for a magical catagory to cut. 

How much does everyone have for emergencies?  Lots?  I know it's supposed to be three months of money, does anyone have anywhere close to that?  

Tracy 

Tracy, I am sorry to hear about the accident. Those are difficult to deal with on a more than financial level.

In the month of April, he spent $540 on buying tools and small items. That doesn't include the $533 a month for truck note, insurance for the truck and  the cell phone. Whenever I wonder where extra money went or why we can't afford to move, I can usually look at this category and figure it out.

I have 2 ideas for how to allocate funds for the varying job-related expenses.  Neither of them are pleasant or ideal.

(1) You can budget for the highest amount he has ever had monthly, &, each month that you don't spend that much, put the balance into savings.

OR

(2) You can do what writers do (& others whose income is erratic) -- I know this because I've writtten a lot (well, 13) of articles & have thus read a lot about writers' problems -- & look back over the past year & budget each month for the AVERAGE amount of the job-related expenses.  In months that you don't spend that much, put the balance into liquid savings or even checking, so that you'll have it for months when you have to spend more.

Brandy, I feel very unhappy that I continually tell you & others ideas that are irrelevant to your situatoins.  I just like to TRY to be helpful.

Oh no, don't feel bad. It's hard to see a whole situation from the other end of the computer. And even if you have offered advise that won't suit my situation or that I already knew/tried, someone else may happen along, read your words and get some use out of it. I have picked up info by reading posts to others before and I found your words at least motivating if not completely helpful.