Once again, it is the end of another month. We continue the march toward the end of this year and the beginning of a new one.
As we approach the end of September 2021, do you know if you finished this month in the black? Have you checked?
Let's review the process you can use to determine if you, overall, spent less in September than you brought in.
First, write down the total income you received this month.
Next, go through your budget and subtract the total spent in each category.
For sinking funds, subtract the total amount you planned for that category, not what was spent.
Check if the number you have left is a positive or a negative number.
Remember, a positive number means you successfully spent less in the month than you brought in. If so, great work! You have provided another example of being the kind of person that spends less than you bring in.
If the number is negative, that is unfortunate. Though it provides and opportunity to analyze your behavior over the month. I encourage you to take some time and ask yourself some questions, such as:
Which categories did you over-spend on?
How much did you over-spend?
Did you feel justified when you did it?
What are you trying to feel when you spend more than you planned?
If you answer these questions honestly of yourself, I believe you will continue down the path of making better choices in the future. Keep moving toward being that person.