Myth: I don't have time to work on a budget.
Truth: You don't have time not to.

Budgeting. The dreaded "B" word. Budget. The only other word that starts with "B" that might generate a worse reaction in most people is the word bankruptcy.

Unfortunately, the word budget has gotten a bum rap. It is basically just a plan. When you budget, you're spending on paper, on purpose, before the month begins. But many people view a budget as a straight jacket that keeps them constrained. Freedom and budget just don't seem to go together.

However, when you see that a budget is just spending your money with intention, you'll actually experience more freedom than before. Many people say they've found even more money when they created a realistic budget and stuck with it.

Here's some helpful advice about budgeting:

1. Give it 3-4 months to start working. It won't be perfect the first time you do it.

2. Spend every dime on paper before the month begins.

3. Over-fund your groceries category. Most people underfund that category.

4. Husbands (if applicable) need to loosen up and quit using the budget as a whipping tool on their wives.

5. If married, spouses need to do the budget together. The preacher said ". . . and you are One."

For over 10 years, we've been teaching people how to get rid of debt...forever.