One of the most important life lessons we all need to learn is how to Budget. Without a concept of budgeting, it’s almost impossible to keep track of your money and will likely result in a consistent trail of debt that follows you for life. But despite the clear importance of budgeting, an estimated 31% of Americans struggle to pay their bills every month, suggesting they lack an efficient budget.

There’s a huge variety of reasons why people struggle to budget, and it will largely depend on the lifestyle choices we make on a daily basis. But just because you may have struggled to budget your whole adult life so far, this certainly doesn’t mean you can’t change things and become a budgeting pro! So, if you want to pay your bills and save for your dreams whilst still having money left over, here are some top tips on how to balance your budget.

Analyze your finances

Before creating a budget, it’s vital to get an accurate grasp on your current financial situation and make goals. Once you’ve established how much you can realistically afford to spend each month for different things, you can then begin budgeting from there.

It’s also important to identify areas in which you can cut down on spending. If you go out to eat multiple times during the week or have a weakness for shoes, cutting down on unnecessary spending is guaranteed to free up more money for you to start saving.

And, if your lack of budgeting has resulted in debt, having extra money to spare will certainly help to pay it off. If this is the case, the first step you should take is to seek advice to assist you in consolidating your debts.

Use a budgeting app

With the huge array of money-tracking apps available nowadays for instant download, it makes sense to take advantage of this when it comes to budgeting.

Apps such as Mint are simple, user-friendly programs that help track your money accurately and efficiently. And, as everything is stored digitally, you’ll be able to access your spending habits at the touch of a button as opposed to wading through sheets of paper. Keeping track of what you’re spending is essential for both creating and sticking to a budget, and apps are one of the best ways to do this!

Reward yourself

Sticking to a budget if you’ve never done it before can be difficult, so it’s important to still treat yourself now and again! For each month you don’t go over your budget, give yourself an allowance of say $20 to spend on something you want. As long as your reward is realistic, this is a great way to keep yourself motivated.

Most people assume budgeting is easy but, for most, it can be extremely difficult especially if money is scarce. But as long as you remain organized and strict with yourself, there are many methods that make sticking to a budget easier – you just have to know how!