How Do I Get My Husband/Wife On Board With This Budget Thing (Pt. 1)

So, I think that one of the big questions surrounding budgeting is how to get one's significant other on board the budget train (woot woot).  This is a great question.  You can't just show up home one day and say, "Hey dear, I think we should budget so I created one and it involves us never going out to eat again"  Just so you know, that is a BAD idea.

It's such a great question that I'm going to answer it in a series of posts, this one being part 1.  Some may seem to be out of order but in the end they are all part of the process to get you to your "authentic budget".  Also, I may throw in other posts about other things (#HashTagFridays) but be assured that we'll get back to this one.

The first part of this question is the "why" around budget.  Why budget in the first place?  It's a great question because normally you have to be able to persuade the other person to go on this adventure with you.  So to start off, I'm going to let the late Robin Williams explain:

(To get the full effect, substitute the word "poetry" for "budget")

Let's first start off with how to define a budget:

noun

1.

an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in thefuture.

2.

a plan of operations based on such anestimate.

3.

an itemized allotment of funds, time, etc.,for a given period.

4.

the total sum of money set aside or neededfor a purpose:

the construction budget.

5.

a limited stock or supply of something:

his budget of goodwill.

My favorite definition is #3, an itemized allotment of funds, time, etc., for a given period.  Budgets aren't just for money.  We budget our time, our money, our food, our love for our children (I have three kids so each gets 1/3 of my love, don't judge me!).  We budget because we need to control something that has gotten out of control.  We spend too much so we have to get our money under control.  At work, you're not getting enough things done so you have to budget your time accordingly.  It's after the holidays and the scales say that I'm carrying a few extra lbs so I need to control that more.

Question of the Day: 

What can a budget help you control and why? (We'll get to the why next)

Song/Video of the Day:

Until next time............Happy Budget, Happy Life