Dear Budget: 10 Things I hate About You | #9

Reason #9: We were never taught

How many of you had Budget Class in school? No hands? I’ll wait...still no hands.

We weren’t taught this in school. Woodshop, Home Ec., Chorus. In 3rd grade, I was taught to play the flute-o-phone. While that was a very handy skill (she says sarcastically); perhaps that time could have been better used. Even playing Store would have taught me more. What do you mean I can’t afford ALL these shoes? I have $20 in pink money.

You get my point.

The truth is we were not taught the basic fundamentals when it comes to money. We get thrown into adulthood with bills and responsibilities and spend the next 3-5 years just learning how to pay our bills; let alone trying to figure out how to add in all the other stuff like fun, savings, emergency fund..kids. Suddenly we are in our 20s trying to figure out what a 401k is and what the heck is “vesting” and...you want to take more money out of my paycheck!?

Fast forward to your 30s and 40s and we have more bills and more kids and we are still just trying to survive. Or we now make really good money, bills are covered, no worries there. But what about all the other stuff?

What happens when the income stops? Or when my job stops paying for my car and cell phone? Will I have enough money then?

We weren’t taught. You are totally justified in hating budgets for this reason.

Now, what you do is up to you. Do you keep hating it and avoiding it? Or do you put on your big girl heels and learn?

There are so many ways to learn to budget, but budgeting is like shoes. I mean, isn’t everything?

What works for another woman, heel height, style, color; may not work for you. You need specialized help because you are special. Your budget can turn into a magic wand that takes away stress and guilt. I’m your fairy godmother and it is intervention time. The next step is attending Trail Blazers and scheduling a Budget Intervention Call. Want a more immersive, luxurious experience? VIP days roll out in September.