This is a question that so many of my friends, colleagues and even family members have asked me. They all think that budgets and budgeting services are for people without a lot of money. And that cannot be further from the truth. A budgeting service is not specific to any level of income or economic status. I have worked with people from all over the financial spectrum who all have different goals and objectives on what they want to accomplish by learning the techniques and utilizing the tools for a better household budget.
A budget is a guide for personal financial well being. That means a lot of different things to a lot of people. Here are 4 reasons why people need a budget professional and this is far from a comprehensive list.
I am struggling to understand the relationship between my income and my expenses. At the end of every month I am just hoping that my bills are paid with my income but in truth, I really don't have any method or process to insure this.
My spouse and I make a good living but we are about to have our second child and I don't have any real handle on the ins and outs of my budget. We know we need to start thinking about college now and not wait until they are 18 but how do I go about insuring we have enough money left at the end of each month to put towards their college education?
I just retired and I have a pension. I am not good with budgets and for my whole life I have basically just tried to balance my checkbook as best I could and the rest I sort of left to fate. But now I need to make sure my pension and retirement savings can sustain my lifestyle. I would also like to understand when I should be taking my social security benefits.
I just got my first job! I live at home with my parents but really would like to move out as soon as possible. But I don't even own a checkbook and have never been one to think much about doing a budget. I would really like help in setting up a system so that I can understand my income, and what my expenses may look like when I move out.
One common theme in general to people who need a budget professional is that in an initial consultation they almost always say something along the lines of "I'm not good with money" or "I don't really know what my expenses are or how to manage them". Understanding that you need help in a certain area is always the first step toward improvement. And it should be noted that a budget professional cannot make the budget work by simply a snap of their fingers. They can provide tools, techniques and coaching but ultimately it is up to the client to engage in the process for budget success.
Challenges
With any budget professional service comes challenges. I think many people view the service as a guarantee of more money or a clean and easy way to budget. Regardless of your particular goals though, the biggest challenge to a successful budget is adherence. The budget professional can provide all the tools, techniques, coaching and follow up appointments. But it is ultimately up to the individual or individuals to adhere to the program. In my consultations, I stress that I will provide the client with all the tools and opportunity to create and follow a successful budget program. And I make myself available long after the consultations have ended because I very much want my clients to succeed in their budgetary goals. But I do stress to them that simply having a budget will not achieve their goals. It is simply the tool and the knowledge that is provided. The absolute key is for the client to put the work in. I make my plan as easy as I can with very limited daily time needed to adhere to the program (usually no more than 20 minutes a day) but it is ultimately up to the client to achieve budgetary success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the easy answer to the question of who needs a budget professional...is everyone. It is a very helpful service that requires a relatively minimal investment with a return that will far outpace the investment provided the tools and techniques are followed. When you have a leak in a pipe, or an electrical issue, you don't ignore it, you call a professional to fix it! This should be no different. If you have a budget issue, or you don't understand how the process works, you should do everything in your power to fix it. Call a budget professional today!
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