Allan Oulate share a presentation discussing 3 key ways to make budgeting a more enjoyable experience.

1. 3 Ways to Make
Budgeting More
Enjoyable
by Allan Oulate

2. It’s rare to see fun and
finances in the same
sentence, but budgeting
doesn’t have to be an
exercise in misery. Nothing
can take all of the work and
planning out of the
budgeting process, but it’s
relatively easy to turn it
into a game.

3. Turning budgeting into a
pleasant task instead of a
tedious chore makes it
much easier to stick to the
budget over time, so most
people can benefit from
taking a few steps to make
budgeting more fun.

4. Have Little
Goals

5. Most people enjoy meeting
their goals, even when
those goals are small.
Modern game developers
make people come back to
their apps by implementing
tiny goals that the player
can fulfill every few
minutes.

6. There’s no reason why a
budgeter can’t use a similar
technique to make their
budgeting more fulfilling.

7. Start by identifying your
financial goals, such as
saving money for a trip, or
cutting down on expenses.
Once you have identified
the big goals, find a way to
cut them down into a set of
little goals.

8. For example, focus on
finding a way to put ten
dollars into the bank every
week instead of looking for
a way to deposit one
hundred dollars all at once.
Plan the budget to
accomplish these little
goals regularly.

9. This creates a constant
sense of achievement that
makes budgeting much
more pleasant.

10. Find A
Community

11. Humans are pack animals,
so they usually find it easier
to do things when a lot of
other people are
performing the same task.

12. The people in the group can
offer reassurance that
what they’re doing is
worthwhile, and they can
also provide practical
advice when necessary.

13. The group’s members can
also hold each other
accountable during hard
times, which motivates
people to stick to their
budget.

14. Take advantage of
humanity’s tribal instincts
by finding other people who
care about budgeting.
Meeting with people in
person is usually best, but
an online community is
almost as good.

15. Groups that focus on using
coupons or other frugal
practices are especially
useful, since they can
provide practical advice
that makes budgeting
easier in addition to
offering the support that
makes it more enjoyable.

16. Challenge
Yourself

17. Competition can motivate
people to keep going even
when they want to quit.
Competitive budgeting is
possible in a group, but
most of the benefits can also
come from challenging
yourself.

18. This method is particularly
useful for people who are
already comfortable with
the basics of budgeting, but
are having a hard time
bringing themselves to cut
things out of the budget.

19. Start with a budget that you
know you can handle, and
then find something small
that you can cut out of it. It
should be a minor luxury,
like reducing an expensive
trip to the coffee shop with
a cheap cup from a gas
station.

20. Challenge yourself to cut
that item out of the budget
for two or three weeks as a
trial period, and then see
how you feel.

21. Humans purchase many
things more out of habit
than any desire for them, so
many people find that they
don’t miss their old luxuries
after they break the habit.

22. Humans purchase many
things more out of habit
than any desire for them, so
many people find that they
don’t miss their old luxuries
after they break the habit.