Saving Money When You Don't Feel Like It...

We've all been there. Lustily gazing at the beautifully marbled filet mignon in the butcher case, begrudgingly holding your on-sale chicken...Sighing deeply at the 52-inch screen which is seemingly calling to you, "buy me, buy me!" What keeps us from throwing in the towel and on the straight and narrow budget road?

• Make Goals
• Whether they're long term, or short term, make savings goals to give you something to work towards
• These don't have to be extravagant. In fact, it's better if these goals are doable, so you don't get discouraged.
•  Give Yourself a Little Wiggle Room
• Yes, those dark chocolate peanut M&Ms are for the sake of your mental health. Set aside a few dollars each month to do with what you want. Having a little "me" money always makes budgeting a little easier. 
•  Assess your budget often
• We recently had to re-do our monthly budget due to the rising prices in gas and food. I had to cut back in other areas in order to maintain our budget goal. Check your spending versus budget every couple months. After all, just because you have a budget doesn't mean you know where your money is going.
• Consider yourself a role model
• Believe it or not, you are teaching your children how to look at money. Teaching them the value of money and how to budget for things they want, will affect them through their lives.
• Pick Yourself Back Up
• So, you bought that leather sofa even though you didn't have the money. Now what? As tempting as it is to just give up and ignore your budget because it's already "busted", keep going. Try harder next time. Think about why you splurged, and how you can avoid it in the future.

Budgeting can be hard. It can be frustrating. But, don't think about saving money as a punishment. Saving on what we think we want now allows us to have what we need in the future.