Years ago, I stumbled upon a method of budgeting that completely transformed my view of how to manage our budget and I’ve never turned back. I have since developed my own method and tools around it. I tell everyone who is struggling with budgeting to use this method. I believe that it is the most intuitive way to budget. And the best part is, it’s super simple to get started.

I absolutely love calendar budgeting. All of those other methods can just go by the wayside and I wouldn’t object. Just leave calendar budgeting – or better yet – my annual calendar budgeting method alone.

What is Calendar Budgeting?

Calendar budgeting is a budgeting method using a calendar format. Or literally a calendar, where your expenses and income are arranged by your payment/due dates. This method allows you to more accurately know when money comes in and when money goes out. And, when you add in a running daily balance, you’ll immediately know how much money is available at any point within the month and if you are going to have a shortfall of funds. Additionally, calendar budgeting can be beneficial for those with irregular income to help you to plan better.

Why is Calendar Budgeting preferred over other methods?

Other budgeting methods, such as the envelope method or zero-based budgeting where you total your income minus expenses don’t provide the same level of detail, flexibility or assurance as calendar budgeting. These methods are missing an important key factor–Being able to determine how much money you’ll have in the bank on a given day. If you budget based on envelopes or by total bills, are you sure that you’ll have enough money to fill the envelope (or pay the bill in full) before the due date? Not all of the time; there’s no certainty. Therefore, envelope and zero-based budgeting aren’t reliable methods to use for budgeting.

Now I must interject here that as awesome as Calendar Budgeting is, using it alone as your only means to budget, is insufficient. And what I mean by that is that you can’t rely on just a single budget method to ensure that your money is managed appropriately, it takes additional tools and strategies to make it complete. And I say that because I’ve been using calendar budgeting for over 20 years and it didn’t prevent us from overextending our debt and it didn’t identify potential pitfalls or set us up for a prosperous future. It only ensured that our bills were covered. Hmm…let me let that sink in. Yes, you need more than just a method to ensure that your money is properly managed. 

Sanity Cents’ Calendar Budget Mastery Method

And that’s how I came to develop my 4-Part Foundational Budgeting Framework called Calendar Budget Mastery, and I’m on a mission to share this with more moms. There are gaps in budgeting that you should be aware of because if you aren’t, you could fall into a trap like me where overwhelming debt begins to stifle your happiness. Instead, I want to help you avoid that or get out of that hole and create more meaningful connections with your kids and rediscover your purpose, sooner than I did. I felt like I was spinning my wheels for way too long and I didn’t know how to move forward.

I know what it feels like…

• To have debt take a negative toll on your life.
• To not be able to create the type of experiences you want to have with your kids — BEFORE they leave home — AND TIME FLIES BY.

You need to get ahead of this now!

What is Calendar Budget Mastery?

This is an Excel spreadsheet-based program that uncovers your spending habits, organizes your expenses, keeps you within your limits based on your income, promotes goal setting and includes an ANNUAL calendar budget. And here’s what’s unique about my calendar budget vs. plain, one month paper based methods. My program shows you what your normal spending habits do to your bank account, all things remaining equal, throughout the year. It shows you how your savings adds up over time and what the balance in your bank account could be in 6 mos, 8 mos, 12 mos. 

You’ll have clarity and confidence like never before! No more wondering if you spent over on groceries today, what will that do to your ability to pay your bills next month. With Budget Mastery, it’s no longer a surprise. You will no longer be caught off guard. Instead, once you populate the annual budget, you’ll know the balances of all future months! 

Knowing how much money you have at any given time within the month is powerful. Does your current budget give you that sense of confidence? Do you know your debt limits today? Do you know what your highest spending categories are or if you should re-evaluate your spending? 

Once you complete a calendar budget, even for one month, you’ll be able to recognize if…

• you have money left over to pay your bills
• you’ll know if you need to adjust your expenses, like adjusting your groceries, fun money, eating out to cover your bills
• Or, if you have a larger pitfall later in the year, let’s say due to a large expense, like taxes, you’ll know well in advance if you can cover that expense or if you need to work overtime, pick up a side job, or sell something to earn additional money to supplement your budget.

When will you begin listening to that tug you have on your heart to finally become debt free? Don’t continue to go at this alone. Your family deserves a brighter future with a mom who has more spirit than you do today.  

So let me know in the comments if you enjoyed today’s message. How do you budget? Are you going to switch to calendar budgeting? Do you now realize the beauty of what it can offer you in terms of clarity? 

Have other points that I didn’t include? Feel free to drop me a message on SanityCents.com when you download the FREE Budget Starter Kit. Let me know what other topics you would like to discuss. 

Be intentional. Budgeting and money management are essential to your success, but more intuitive budgeting, like my budget mastery program will transform how you think budgeting should be. With that, get out there and Budget Brilliantly.