Four reasons you can't stick to a budget

Each week I get countless Facebook or YouTube comments (and even emails) from people who say the same thing: "I try to budget but I just can't seem to stick to it."

I totally understand that. Like I said last week, no one is perfect at budgeting all the time. However, in my personal budget failure experiences, there seem to be a few things that pop up over and over again in failed budgets. 

1. Lack of accountability  

If Jason didn't "make me" budget it would be a disaster. (And by make me I mean he makes the budget and asks nicely and I agree because, well, he did ask nicely.) 

It's important to make a budget with your spouse and then review it before the month is over to see if you've stayed on track. 

If you're single check out this awesome video from my friend Sara. She's amazing and offers great single girl advice for getting out of debt. 

You could also use an app like EveryDollar to help you stay on track. The "spent" feature shows a black and white picture of what you've spent that month. And sometimes it hurts to look at. 

2. Lack of goals

You have to give yourself a reason to set and keep a budget. Getting out of debt is a great reason, but it seems a little too broad. 

Instead give yourself lots of smaller goals, something like "I am going to pay off $3,000 in credit card debt in the next three months." Then work toward those goals. 

3. Forgetting that each month is unique

One month you might have a lot of birthdays or need to pay your taxes. One month might mean an oil change and a haircut or sports fees. Not every month is an exact replica of the last. Make adjustments for unique monthly expenses. 

4. Lack of commitment

It's one thing to theories about saving money. But you have to put it into action by cutting back on your lifestyle. 

It might be that for one month you really have to buckle down and go scorched earth on your budget and see what needs to go.