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“Why budget” should be a rhetorical question.  No answer should be expected for this question as the answer should be apparent.  Each of us should already know the importance of a budget to our financial livelihood.

Asking why budget is almost like asking why eat.  A budget is just as important to our financial life as food is to our physical life.  Just as there are different types of food to nourish and maintain our physical body, there are different types of budgets to control our financial life.  A well developed and maintained budget will pay as many benefits to our financial life as a sensible and healthy diet will help our physical well being.

You can subsist physically on junk food, but you will certainly be much more prone to illness and disease with various health problems.  You could probably live for quite sometime just eating junk food.  That life though could be fraught with problems and keep you from enjoying a healthy and happy life.  I don’t think that there is any argument to the fact that if you maintain a healthy diet, you could lead a more fulfilling life.

By the same token, you could have a junk food type budget.  This type budget is generally very happenstance.  There is generally very little thought given to what a healthy financial life requires.  The budget is not really a careful plan.  It was not carefully researched and developed, and certainly is not followed. This type budget will almost certainly result in financial problems, just as a junk food diet for your body will result in health problems. .

Most of us know that a good diet is important to a good physical life.  We know the basic principles, but do not take the time or make the effort to live a healthy life.  It is just much easier to eat what we want, when we are hungry, than to take the time to do some research, develop the proper menu, and commit to living on that diet.  So we just go a long.  We eat junk food when we know we should be eating fruits and vegetables.  It just seems so much easier.

We do the same thing with our financial menu as we do with our physical menu.  We know the importance of both a good diet and a good budget.  We know that a good budget is a major factor in controlling our financial lives.  Yet, we do not take the time to analyze our income and spending.  We do not take the time to develop a budget to suit our unique lives.  We do not make the commitment to follow the menu (budget) that will let us maximize our financial lives.

Why budget?  I am not a health nut, nor have I made the commitment to a good healthy physical diet.  I am like most people in this.  But, I do want to control my financial life.  I have done the necessary research about my financial life.  I have developed a unique budget for my household.  I have committed to following, that menu (budget).  It is not always easy.  Sometimes I eat a fast food hamburger by going outside my budget.  I always try to get back on budget.

Why budget?   I don’t really think you expect an answer as you already know the answer.  We all know how important a budget is to our financial life.  Each of us must decide what our financial menu will include.  I know that it is difficult, but I hope that you decide to develop your own budget menu to control your financial life.  I know that it will give you a much richer life.