$$$ 1st February Payday $$$

I challenged you on the last payday post to challenge yourself to do better. Maybe save an extra $20 or stay within budget, how have you been doing? Have you been telling your money where to go? Wherever you need help, make February the month to do better and challenge yourself. We are only halfway thru this short month so you have plenty of time to stay on track or get back at it if you fell off the budget wagon.

I will be showing you how we allocate our money, if you haven't read the 1st payday post, I suggest reading that one first. Just like that post, I will not be using my actual paycheck amount.

JP and I get paid on the 15th and last day of the month. When planning out our budget, we use the amount that hits our account. So, this will be after taxes, 401K, medical, FSA, etc. I suggest you do the same. 

I used the same paycheck amount as my last post of $2,500. This will include any bills due before our next paycheck. We have listed our water and Verizon bill since those are the only 2 due before our last paycheck of the month. You will also see $50 towards auto, which is for gas and any other various costs for our car. We also get $450 towards food, which is groceries, eating out, household goods, alcohol, coffee, tea, cat food and litter. The final amount is going towards our flywheel. Remember, the flywheel is something we talk about and always change. This amount will almost always vary each month. The last thing you should notice is that JP's paycheck is not included. His paycheck usually goes towards savings, travel, charity and spending money.

I have had people reach out saying how hard it is to budget and it's true that it can be... especially if this is your first time budgeting. You will underbudget items, blow your budget and ignore your budget, but the longer you go trying to budget, the better you will be at sticking to it. There is a learning curve. Most Americans have no idea where their money is going and that is frightening. Once you start to see where you spend the most money, you will start gaining control of your money. 

Do you need help with your budget? I will put together a budget for you if you would like, just reach out.

Again, I ask, do you know where your money is going? Be sure to comment and subscribe.