Transitioning to a Summer Budget
Transitioning to a summer budget can be a powerful way to save money and reduce expenses. As summer approaches, the warmer season offers a unique opportunity to revamp your financial life to make it much easier. You can easily transition to a summer budget with three easy steps.
Step One: Mark All Places Where You Can Save Money
Transitioning to a summer budget can be all the sweeter if you can find ways to live more affordably. Mark all the places where you can save money before you even get started. Beyond the normal savings points, summer offers unique opportunities to reduce expenses. Unless you live in hotter climates, utility costs can be drastically reduced due to the better weather. Make commitments on reducing utilities during the better seasons in order to save money. Also, entertainment costs can usually be reduced with a variety of outdoor activities. As you approach the summer, it is a great time to budget as the rest of the year approaches. Find ways to save in order to open up opportunities during the rest of the year such as investments or even taking vacations.
Step Two: Create Your Summer Budget
After marking places where you can save money, making your summer budget should be much easier. Write your income and expenses amounts on two columns. Make sure to be very realistic: do not exaggerate your income or understate your expenses. A budget is only effective if it can actually be followed. When your budget is complete, make sure to post it in an area that is easily viewable. Your summer budget should try to leave over as much money as possible as disposable income. This “leftover” money should be saved each month religiously as you make plans on how you will eventually invest it.
Step Three: Put Your Budget into Action
The final step in transitioning to your summer budget is to put it into action. Your budget is only effective if it actually reviewed and followed. Commit to following each budget item, not over-spending on any particular item. After the first couple of months, look into your payment totals and compare them with your budgeted amount. This review will allow you both to analyze whether your budget was actually followed. It will also reveal if corrections should be applied to any particular category. Following a summer budget is not burdensome. It can even be enjoyable. Knowing that you are enjoying life while keeping close track of your money can be a very rewarding feeling. The things that make life the most enjoyable in the summer are usually not related to how much money is required to make them happen. A summer budget can help you recapture the enjoyment of summer that cannot be bought with money.
