Whether you prefer a written or electronic budget, a budget is necessary.
It’s that time of the year.
Last week my husband got an alert that his card was used at a fast food restaurant, that we frequently go to, for $1.48. Granted, he did not inform me what was going on, but he locked his debit card just to see what would happen. I still ask myself why he didn’t just close it, but I know that’s just how he is.
A few days later he received an alert from our bank while he was at work. I was at home getting ready for work as well when someone tried my husbands card at another fast food restaurant twice, but this time they declined because my husbands card was locked. This time my husband was completely sure he did not overlook a purchase and immediately sent me a text informing me what happened and closed his card.
Fortunately, we budget every month and review weekly/daily or else he wouldn’t have noticed. Plus, we usually make purchases over $17 when we go to that place, so $1.48 was very fishy. We are not sure how this happened but we suspect that an employee there wrote down his card information. We are not sure who exactly since lately they’ve hired a bunch of new people and most of the faces there have been unfamiliar.
I want to express the importance of a budget because if we did not write down our expenses then $1.48 could have easily become a much larger purchase.
At first writing down your expenses and budgeting can feel like a chore but after a while it can become a good habit and you’ll notice you become more diligent in your finances.
Also, you can start anytime, you don’t have to wait until the new year to start.
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