Yo guys. So, struggling a bit here with this whole personal budgeting thing. Wondered if there are any budgeting ninjas among us who could offer some wisdom?

I’ve tried a couple of those budgeting apps but they’re just not cutting it for me. Not sure if it’s because I struggle with consistency or maybe I’m just missing something. Or could be that I’m a bit old school and would prefer more of a pen and paper style approach, just without the actual pen and paper (if that makes sense ha). More like an easy-to-follow method that I can apply daily.

To give you a little bit of backstory here, I had a decent saving habit in the past but then the pandemic hit and like many, my financial stability took a hit. Now, finding it quite daunting getting back on track.

Secretly holding a beacon of hope that there are a few money management maestros out there reading my plea and can share their ancient knowledge haha. Like, what are your saving strategies and how do you stick to them? Is there a secret to spending less? Or methods to increase my income that I haven’t thought of?

And on a more specific note, anybody ever successfully saved for something big, like a dream vacation or big-ticket item? How did you reach your goal? Did you keep a photo of the thing you were saving for on your fridge door to motivate you, or was 🤔

Hey there, totally get where you’re coming from. Budgeting can be a tough beast to tackle. In my experience, setting up a recurring automatic transfer into a separate savings account once payday hits has been a game changer. It’s like paying your future self first, and what’s left is what you actually get to spend. As for spending less, I try to wait it out before making any big purchases. Sometimes the urge to buy something passes after a few days and voila, you’ve just saved some bucks. And yes, I did save up for a big trip once - didn’t keep a photo but constantly visualizing the experiences and joy I’d gain helped keep me on track. Stick to it, you got this!

Totally feel your struggle - budgeting can be a right pain. I’ve had a similar experience, and that automatic transfer into savings every payday really does work wonders. Regarding big spending decisions, I also use the wait-it-out method but complement it by asking myself - do I need it or just want it? Sometimes that helps too. And yeah, visualising saving goals is a smart move, helped me get my first car. Keep going, mate, every step, no matter how small, gets you closer to your goal, remember that!