We are about to talk about budgets so hear me out before you click on the little X at the top of screen! Even though I do not believe in a strict budget, I still believe that a rough budget will help you. Make it a loose budget using percentages of your income instead of making a fixed amount for activities, bills, and food. Your life demands breathing room and flexibility, and your budget should be the same way.

The first step to making a realistic budget without it being chiseled in stone is to decide how much money you want to put into your budget. A lot of people don’t put in all their income in their budget. Most people will save a portion of their money before they want to pay for things. *Paying yourself first: see my top 10 ways to save money* Now, what should you do with the money after you’ve saved your 10-20%?

Here are my recommendations of what should be paid off beginning with the most important.

1. Rent or mortgage (40-45% of your income). This is a reoccurring cost that you will have to pay on a monthly basis - unless you like living outdoors. If you do not have any kind of living expenses because you have paid off your house, or if you are living with your parents, you should be putting the money you would be paying in rent/mortgage into your savings account. *A good mortgage calculator to make your rough budget*
2. Food and necessary bills (20-30%). What do I mean by food? NOT the food when you go out for dinner. Food you purchase at grocery stores that you will be eating on a daily basis. You need money for food or else you would die of starvation (I do not recommend doing that). The bills that are essential for a healthy lifestyle, such as water, electric, gas, and insurance bills are right after food. *Learn how to lower your utility bills*
3. Secondary bills (10-15%) - such as cable, internet, phone, and cell phones - come in third. These services are usually perks, but for some people these costs are also a necessity. Technically you could live without them, but a lot of people will argue this point. If you need to reduce these costs, but you cannot survive without them go for the bare minimum.
4. Fun and leisure activities (10-15%) are still a must. A lot of personal finance advisors, such as Michelle Singletary, recommend dropping any activities that will inevitably get you into serious debt. BUT, in my opinion, Singletary’s advice takes the fun out of life. She is a huge penny pincher when it comes to finance, and I don’t really agree on anything she has to say (sorry about the rant but I watched her show last night and I couldn’t help myself from pointing and laughing at the TV).