Mention personal finance budgeting to the average person and you’ll get a variety of reactions, most of them negative.

The word “budget” scares us. It’s like “diet.” It suggests restricting yourself, cutting out a lot of things you enjoy but that aren’t good for you, and being grown-up and responsible.

We don’t LIKE being grown-up and responsible. We like to be frivolous and carefree!

But “budget,” just like “diet,” has a more neutral meaning, too. Your “diet” is simply a list of all the things you eat, healthy or otherwise.

Likewise, a “budget” is just an accounting of how you spend your money. You can do your personal finance budgeting without feeling “hungry” all the time, maybe without even really feeling like you’re sacrificing much.

It’s all a matter of how you manage your money, what priorities you have and how you associate the value of budgeting to your overall happiness.

Furthermore, think of all the good things that come from personal finance budgeting. Yes, you might need to scrimp a little here and there. But look at the outcomes: Debt-free living.

Not being a slave to credit card companies or other lenders; having the freedom to travel or to do other things that you can’t manage right now because so much of your paycheck must go toward paying off debts.

Does a “budget” really sound so bad when it has such marvelous benefits?

Besides, household budgeting can be fun, or at least not a chore. Think of it as a game. You’re going to make a list of all your expenses, and then you’re going to look for ways to reduce them.

Do you routinely shop at a grocery store that you know is slightly more expensive just because it’s closest to your house? Do you often take long car trips just for fun, in spite of how much it costs in gasoline?

Are there magazines you’ve subscribed to but never read that you could cancel and get refunds for? Couldn’t you get by on fewer cell phone minutes?

Doesn’t that sound appealing? Isn’t freedom from creditors and lenders worth the minor hassle of personal finance budgeting?

More to the point, don’t you owe it to yourself and your family to take action and ensure the financial security of your household?

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