Ninja Money Masters

You’re probably familiar with these song lyrics from The Sound of Music…Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. When you read you begin with A, B, C. When you sing you begin with do, re, mi.

Similarly, when you manage your money, you start with 1, 2, 3.

1. Make a plan
2. Track your actual results
3. Revise your plan

Then return to step 2 and repeat.

The simple secret is that the plan is your budget. And that’s exactly what it is, nothing more, nothing less. A budget is not a set of laws carved in stone, never to be broken or changed.

A budget is a plan for earning AND spending money. The plan is absolutely necessary, because if you don’t have a plan, you’ll have no idea whether you’re meeting your goals. Without a plan, you won’t have anything to compare with your actual results.

When you think of it this way, you can see how important it is to have a budget. It’s the main tool you’ll use to manage your personal finances.

Your budget is NOT a set of restrictions imposed on you by some outside force. It’s actually the translation of your financial goals into a format that lets you measure your progress and adjust your plans as necessary.

Although the secret is simple, it’s not always easy to do in real life. But the Ninja Money Masters can help.