Overcoming “Budgetphobia”

Budgeting similar claustrophobia makes you think the walls are closing in your lifestyle.

Rob West you know you should, but the idea of putting limits on your spending.

Send you into a panic yet overcome your fears and be budget today but it's on your calls at 800-525-7000 call that number 24, seven, 800-525-7000. This is money was not for your financial decisions. Okay, so maybe budget for is a made up word and it's not a recognized disorder by the American psychological Association, but it must be real because we constantly hear from people who aren't living on a budget. There has to be some reason for that.

These folks are fooling themselves if they think they can stay out of dad and save for the future without a spending plan. But what if there was a way to budget without really knowing that you're doing it. What we'll talk about that today. If you have budget phobia. The first thing you want to do is pay attention to your spending.

You don't have to make any drastic changes right away. Use whatever method you like to monitor what you spent the free money wise out can help you do that, it'll automatically track your spending so you can look at it in real time. Of course it's a powerful tool with three different ways to budget your money.

But don't worry about that right now just use it to see a list of your spending, if you look at it every day or two you'll start to get a picture of where your money is going and why you don't have enough left to meet your monthly obligations, let alone saving. But there's another huge benefit to seeing the list of every expenditure.

You'll probably start automatically spending less when you're thinking about spending you'll do less of it.

Of course, you don't have to use an app you can do this the old-fashioned way.

Keep a little notepad with you and jot down everything you spend, it'll accomplish the same thing. Now the next step to overcoming budget phobia is one of the key reasons we budget in the first place then that saving you always wanted to say but again you were afraid it would crap your lifestyle. Well, you can take the worry out of saving by simply not thinking about it. Set up a system where you do it automatically for short-term savings like your emergency fund have some of your money automatically transferred each month to a savings account where you don't see it unless you're looking online.

Banks are great for this for longer-term investing set up your 401(k) for salary deferral or IRA to automatically pull something out of your checking account each month. Now to start with. You don't have to put a lot of money into either form of saving set up those automatic transfers to put something into your emergency fund and retirement account each month even if it's just a little. You can make adjustments later. Once that's taking care of your halfway toward beating budget phobia. Now here's the next step on a paper calendar enter each purchase on the day you make it as you do that, you'll start to see whether you have enough money to make it to the end of the month, hopefully, was something left over. This may cause you to think about things you're buying that you don't really need that's good. Jot those down that'll come in handy later. And here's the next step in this is really helpful for folks suffering from budget phobia, all you do is add up all of your recurring monthly bills so you have one total number and include your saving and giving and that total. Let's it comes to the $2000 divide that number by the number of paychecks you get each month and let's say that's for so 2000�4 gives you $500. Now you know you have to set that much aside every payday to meet your monthly obligations. Now you want to set up a completely separate checking or savings account for these recurring expenses and again you can set up an automatic transfer of $500 from your checking account into this new account every payday. That way you'll always have enough money on hand to pay your bills. But here's where you need to be careful. Once this is set up the money for your bills and necessary expenses like groceries and gas will be pulled out of your checking account. You might be tempted to think you can spend freely with whatever's left over.

That's not going. This is where you have to keep checking back with your list of daily expenditures. It'll naturally help you curtail the impulse to take any money you have left over and apply to your debt or put it into savings. What you do all of this you will be living on a budget without even knowing it and that's how you beat budget again.

You can use the money wise out to accomplish all of this. Just search for money wise biblical finance where you download apps your calls or next. 800-525-7000 525-7000. This is money was not biblical wisdom for your financial decisions moneywise.

Rob Webster hosted phone lines are open will head there in just a moment for your questions on anything financial, here's the number to call 800-525-7000 got some lines open and we'd love to hear from you. 800-525-7000 you know we started today by talking about budget phobia will create ways to get beyond that is to have a system to control the flow of money in and out, well that's why our team spent well over a year. In fact, multiple years developing what is today the moneywise app so you can connect to your institutions download your transactions. But here's the key.

We recognize that not everybody wants a system that manages money exactly the same.

Some of you are more directional than detailed some of you are more hands-off than hands-on. Well, you want to track only system where you can download your transactions and just see each of those organized by budget category so you can keep tabs on it all the way to our digital envelope system for those of you who were detailed and hands-on. Perhaps you want to set up a digital envelope for each of your budget categories fund that out of your funding account balances tied to checking or savings. Whichever ones you designate, and then have your transactions automatically categorized into those envelope so you can see, perhaps along with your spouse at any given moment, how much is left in each budget envelope we got three systems little one of those. I'm sure will fit perfectly for you. You can download the moneywise app where ever you get apps you just had to your app store and search for moneywise biblical finance in one of the other things you be able to do as a part of that is organize your spending by not only your budget categories but also live give. Oh, and grow. It's a great high level view of your spending. What's going toward your lifestyle. What about growing or saving. What about the amount that's going toward that what you owe or what about that which you are giving well, you can toggle a button and see exactly what's in each of those categories. And here's where that helps. It allows you to set goals to change those percentages over time so we can increasingly see the amount going toward give increasing in the amount that we have going toward oh decreasing.

Perhaps lifestyle gets capped. Or maybe you want to try to ratchet that down a bit. Whatever it might be in your situation you can get that view that allows you to make those decisions.

So check out today. It's the moneywise app and you can download it at your app store.

All right, we got some lines open today we want to begin taking your calls and questions here in just a moment. Here's the number 800-525-7000 before we dive into daily take one emailed question because I often miss out on the opportunity to get to your emails. This one says we are trying to find a financial coach.

By the way, Charles writes in with this work close to retirement. Where should we start. What questions should we ask and you've got a couple of options number one are moneywise coaches would be happy to help. Once you become a pro subscriber to the moneywise app you automatically have access to our moneywise coaches at no cost and they can give you some assistance. Charles in helping you set that retirement spending plan which will be key and then comparing that to the income sources that you have I would start there and if you determine you need to help with your coach of a professional well then you could avail yourself of the certified kingdom advisor so become a moneywise pro subscriber and connect with a coach by scheduling an appointment right there in the app I think that'll be a great next step for you and we appreciate you writing in our let's add to the phones today 800-525-7000 will begin in Tampa, Florida hi cameo, how can I help you very good. Thanks for calling to this if you would my just turning down your radio ever so slightly. I think the delay is throwing you off and then go and restart your question. Thank you.

Thank you.

That way we like you all will heart but get my okay yeah and so now what is your struggle. At this point what is dripping up money that only where hi Bill, we came up $100 level, you get that money in the bank. Yeah.

Very good. Well I'm glad to hear that you say that you understand what it is that it takes to fund your lifestyle on a monthly basis.

I might dial into that a little further just to be sure that you captured everything in one of the ways to do that is either begin to track that manually could carry a small on notebook around with you and record every transaction or you could do that in the moneywise out but the key is that you want those not only recurring expenses that you get a bill for you want to capture all the discretionary spending as well.

That's things that we don't get a bill for, but we spend money on regularly. I'm thinking about groceries and eating out and thinking about clothing purchases and miscellaneous and entertainment those things that just come up throughout the month that can be budget busters will make sure you get everything into the budget, including those things that don't even happen monthly. So like, I'm thinking about a semiannual insurance premium or homeowner homeowners association or Christmas you were doing with that right now. If we haven't budgeted for also and we have the spike in Christmas spending. We don't have the money for it. So I want to get everything in there and get a true picture of what it takes to fund your lifestyle on a monthly basis and then go in and take a finer look at it to say where might we want to trim this so we can in fact create the margin were looking for. Once you have that nailed down. Let's say it is in fact 1800 a month then I think we need to look at your priorities.

The first priority. I would look at would be to say. Are we giving systematically the amount is between you and your husband in the Lord, but I would build something it on the front end to begin to become a systematic giver that is recurring monthly.

Secondly I'd love for you to have an emergency fund. Now the amount you would set as a goal for that emergency fund depends on this factor. Do you have any credit card debt currently that you're carrying a balance on month-to-month, very good on barley basically altogether like some hundred dollars right now it and you pay that off at the end of the month of those monthly bills that you're charging resent about you been that's been hanging around for a few months. No more like okay to get it off. You know ahead yeah I think the key with credit cards as I don't have a problem with them as long as you're using that spending for budgeted items, things you planned on and you always have the money to pay it off in full. And if you got 1800 a month left over.

You should never carry a balance beyond the statement.

Because there's just no reason to be paying that interest. So, since it effectively. You don't have any credit card debt. The goal for that emergency fund is going to be 3 to 6 months expenses. Let's say we start with three months expenses which would be roughly $10,000 you would want to save that's going to take you know, about six months for you to get there based on what you have available, and so I would really focus on building that up. I put it in a separate savings account earmarked for emergencies connected digitally to your checking account so you can use ally, which by the way just announced their waving all their overdraft fees. Glad to hear that but Ally Bank, you could use capital one 360 you can use Marcus anyone of those three would be great online savings accounts again linked to your checking wherever that is. And then go ahead and and automatically transfer that money once you get to three months expenses.

Now we can look at other priorities. Are you all putting anything aside for the long term for retirement okay and you know what percent of your income is going into the 401(k) is when you add it all up and 8% okay and so I think your goal there would probably be to get that up to 10 to 15%.

So that might be one objective in terms of how to allocate this additional surplus that you have. Beyond that, do you all have any other short-term or medium-term goals.

Are you trying to save for a down payment for house.

Do you have kids that you're saving for college, like trying to mount their you know how I payment down right now with the economy. Yeah, you know, I really like about how to start out regularly extent that right now drinking adequately just moved here. I went by, kneeling and trying to get that you know that Mike felt like trying to think down how okay good time to buy. Now we don't know how to make it later on we don't yet yeah do you have any savings that you've accumulated.

At this point for a down payment thousand dollars okay very good so I think you may be in a good spot in the sense that I love that, since you're new to the market you're taking your time to figure out where we want to live.

Know if your kids are a consideration what school district and when we want to be where we can go to church and where is our community going to be that that's can be key. And you're right.

Housing prices are very high right now. I think we could see. I don't think were in a bubble were to see a significant decline but we certainly could see a leveling off of the housing market. I think the key is what is the right time for you to buy when you're ready financially. In one of the evidences of that is going to be a cameo got at least 20% down payment.

One of our $200,000 home.

That's 40,000 300,000 60,000 so I would be saving the aggressive and then until you're ready to make that purchase will be right back. Stay with us joining us moneywise live on the West Coast taking calls and questions today. We got some lines open. What's on your mind. We love to hear from you with anything financial 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000 were to stay in Florida and talk to Ramon I Ramon thanks for going hey how are you call great war. So glad you did. What's on your mind today I learned how all 182 my new family two 74,001 comparing off all my credit card. The car in my technical money out to build all though that's a good idea or I will write my claim my payment on the 1850 right now my you payment to be 2000 saving my car payment. I credit card payment yeah you know I'm not as concerned me, although it's a consideration. I'm not as concerned about the payment as I am. Whether or not this makes financial sense for a variety of reasons.

So let's unpack this a bit if you don't mind Ramon. What is the value of your mortgage today. Roof 180 okay what you believe the home is worth 380 okay 380,000 you got a couple hundred thousand in equity. What is your current interest rate on the existing mortgage or warning one okay what are you looking at getting with the interest rate on this new loan is actually 8.254 point okay why so high.

What is your crowns come on for one okay that's still higher than the market rates right now is your credit score. This causes some challenges.

What we think it is roughly right now and I agree, and how much are you looking to pull out cash total to add to the mortgage but was roughly around 80,000. No real. The car required and catch up. Okay, here's my challenge with this number one is I don't like cashing out of the mortgage for you. About the only one would be for the pool in the events it makes sense financially for you. You have the wherewithal to do it because that's going to improve the value of the home and it really is part of the home you knows this part of the dwelling. The other two items the car and the credit card. Essentially what were doing is were taking either unsecured debt in the case of the credit cards and securing it to the house and then were taking secured debt, collateralized only by the car. Meaning if you don't pay it you lose the car now or tying it to the house so if something happens in your financial life you are unable to make good on this payment. Now you're putting your home at risk. Number one. How many years do you have left on your current term.

Do you know if you're more, 20, 20, 24 year right and are you doing a new 30 year year that I was planning to send one payment a year now, so that'll be good that I wouldn't cry back down to about 25 or 26 years. Challenges this is going to be costly to do and you know the problem with credit card debt.

Although it may be a one time thing with medical issues is, unless you solve the problem that led you there in the first place. This is going to take the pressure off the credit card debts can return.

So I if it were me, I push the pause button on this and not full. All of this into the house line will talk a bit more fear. That was my moneywise live around West euros figure calls and questions today.

Here's the number 800-525-7000 800-525-7000 whatever is on your mind today would love to hear from you. See if we can help you apply God's word to your financial life and move forward with confidence just before the break we were talking to Ramon we had a chance to talk a bit more off the air, and here's what I would say about Ramon situation. I know many of you are in the same situation out there right now you're feeling the pinch in your budget. You're feeling the squeeze month to month. There's more month than money as you move through the month that I get that. And so you're trying to solve the problem. The problem is with the rolling it all into the mortgages. That's just not a good long-term solution. Yes, it will take some of the pressure off because now the credit card payments go way that car payment goes away, essentially by getting a new 30 year mortgage, you're only increasing the monthly payment slightly. The problem is, we've now just extended this debt out over a much longer period of time and it secured to the house which means the houses at risk.

Furthermore, it often means we haven't solve the underlying problem that led to the credit card debt or borrowing for the car in the first place, which is living beyond your means. So now we've added 80 or 90,000 to the house in six months or a year later we find ourselves in a situation where the credit card debts back except now we have the credit card debt on top of a mortgage that's $100,000 higher. We don't want to do that we want to do the hard work of dialing back spending getting into a debt management program paying off the debt and keeping the mortgage where it is and only refinancing when we can match or lower the term and save at least a point to point 1/4 on the interest rate.

I know it's not easy, but if you do the hard work. It will be a much better long-term financial decision hard work it takes more phone calls here today. We do have a few lines open today. I think were already many folks are starting on Christmas break because we've got a few less than we normally do it this time of the program, which means there's a place for you.

Here's the number 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000 90 a is in Florida from saying that correctly. And thanks for your call today to read fine bill at somewhat challenged and working at a grocery store, and now he had lived out to lawful time warehouse job but not making enough to know about or anything like that. He's basically just working to pay a car and we had him on our account.

Our credit card account junkie teach him how to use that when absolutely not stare in pain. I wanted that way to get him on his own and to build credit for him and even buying his car. We had a could find.

I see you well. I think the key is establishing the rhythms and the disciplines number one teaching the biblical principles of finance and money management and then steel.

Beyond that, obviously, is the credit score. Although it's a very real part of this is evidenced by the fact that, as you said he's he struggled to know move forward in his financial life in certain areas so I think you are with regard to teaching him. I'd like to send you a copy of Howard Dean's book your money counts and I think that could be a great resource. Perhaps you'll sit down and work through that together a chapter at a time to teach him everything from God owns it all to money is a tool to know the devastating impact of debt that compounds against you. Over time the benefit of compounding the works in your favor and living within your means setting a spending plan.

All of these big ideas and concepts that find their roots in God's word I think will be really key to teach and impart to him and Stan Lyman were done today will get your information get that book out to you so think that's number one thing number two is coming alongside him in the practical establishment of the spending plan.

If he doesn't have those skills are ready to teach them what it looks like to develop a spending plan capture all of his discretionary and in recurring expenses and have a plan to control the flow of money in and out, perhaps using either physical or digital envelope system. I think that will be really key as he sets out in terms of building that credit score certainly adding him as an authorized user is one way to do that. Just keep in mind that if he uses it in a way that you all haven't, you know, allowed him to you that will be your responsibility and if you all happen to miss a payment or something like that, I realized that may not be an issue but just be really careful because that negative information will pass back to him as well. So just be aware of the implications of the authorized user status in terms of getting him set up on his own. Another option an idea would be what's called a secured credit card, where you or he would put a certain amount on deposit with say $300 they would issue a credit limit against that deposit, which means they have no risk and then allow charging privileges up to that amount, you could establish a recurring charge to that account every month. It's a budgeted item could be very small. Just a few dollars and it hits the account gets paid off every month. What that's going to do is establish him as an on time payer and then the key will just be as the history progresses, meaning the longer this goes on reason on time payer every month as he adds different types of credit over time and as he keeps his balance is low, which means a low credit utilization that credit score will take care of itself over time. I think the key will just be that you start those things in motion.

Now and begin the teaching side of some of the things that I mentioned is all that makes sense.

Actually, Y, money card, yes L so he had been very responsible with the credit card and so forth. So I think it's critical score is like 780 L very good so that's really not an issue, then he's got a good good good credit score. So what is the challenger running into them with him how to basically he lived at home.

Well yes, everything provided for him. Should we make up a budget, according to what we spend on light and electric IMing electricity and other things in our food, and whatever is the only time he spent in monies for personal thing and like it. He want special treat for our food there.

Whatever.

What he died that he does not really make it not to her rent or anything like that right now. Well I think the key there, and I realize he's got some some ongoing challenges medically and so that's obviously something you have to work through in terms when he's ready to launch out on his own but this is a great opportunity.

If you are willing to cover the expenses for him to save everything he gets. And I think the key will be you know whether you will assign him certain expenses that he pays but you just keep that in a separate account you can get back to him at some point or are you just test him was saving that on his own, saying, listen son working to cover all these expenses for you, but the dealers will do that so long as you're saving this so you got it just a bit of a nest accident when you're ready to go out on your own, you are able to work more and have a sustainable income got a nice amount to get you started with. First last. Partner something like that. So I think right now it's a matter of coming up with a plan that makes sense. That drives toward the ultimate day where he's launching on his own what's going to take to get from here to there financially and from an educational stand will I will get your information. Get this book out moneywise live around Western house moneywise family listen regularly on our website moneywise have benefited from coaches well if that's you we would invite you financial supporter of the ministry. We are entirely listener supported, which means we do what we do as a result of your generous support inherent year end were very mindful of the opportunity to see folks partner with us financially so we can plan for all the exciting things we have coming in 2022. So if you would consider beyond the giving to your local church.

A gift to moneywise media we would be grateful. It's quick and easy to do at our website just had their moneywise live.org, click the donate button you can give online quickly and securely.

You also find the physical address if you'd rather mail a check in but thanks in advance for your support. Let's head back to the phones today. Janet is in Georgia and Janet do you have a testimony today and crown ministry in a wire transferred and paid off my mortgage come on today.

So glad you called to share your excitement with us that that's really great. So let me get this right you been listening all way back to Larry Burket you been applying God's principles and that has resulted in this day where you have actually made the final payment to your mortgage. How does that feel great when you actually paid our people in your mortgage and your darling what. Oh well, that's incredible how did you do it what what changes did you need to make what what have you done over these years to make that possible when married 25 years ago we were about credit card at Iraq that and we did not been out one at a time and I remember being excited today that we have a lot of skiing and learned that we were able to write like $1000 check because we say that that that and now we don't have any credit, we have one credit card that get used for like vacation sure paid off every month and now we can really your debt free payment for another car credible. That is great and you've obviously made some key decisions along the way to Your lifestyle, and I assume that's even write some increases in income along the way as well as a right.

I am looking at like $3000 extra a month now that's incredible. You know that doesn't just happen by chance. It happens by choice, and you know you have purposed yourself to avoid this trap that your level of spending always rises to your level of income, which is way the way it is for most folks but you've got to protest to the contrary, if you're going to do the things you all have set out to do and you've now accomplished, and that is to have plenty of margin to live within your means to purpose yourself to be debt free and now you can experience some hilarious giving and some additional saving and buying cars with cash and that's the of coming that comes with living by God's principles. Glad I think you're to say one more thing.

Help me.

We give ourselves we can help. $40 every two weeks you get. You can type it out and send it bag are you can blow it on McDonald that you hear that sound like I need to finally think I own my house. I bet that's really great weather. Some paper. Yes, that's exactly right there some key principles that you've articulated just in your story and I think these are worth mentioning again to me. We have got to purpose ourselves to set a goal and those goals need to align with our values. What's most important to us and we've got a live within our means we gotta protest against our lifestyle creep which is so prevalent for so many folks and we've gotta build the ability to have some flexibility into our plan that $40 every two weeks that you get its mad money that you can enjoy, but it's a part of the plan. That's the key is that it's all part of a bigger picture that you're driving toward.

So Janet listen congratulations to you and your husband for the hard work you done, you guys go enjoy that and thanks for sharing your testimony today are accomplishing. That's exciting. I let's head south, Hollywood, Florida. Astrid thank you for calling today.

How can I help ninea little bit chilly so exploring the stock market and do not know what I now wanted to try something that is more conservative than where it's not so do you have an emergency fund. Some funds set aside for unexpected expenses great and do you have a retirement plan at work that's available to you. Either you or your husband okay and are you taking advantage of that or is that what you're talking about here. Now that I have a full account when my job and he has a 401(k) with a bold tax-deferred account yet. I have an IRA account as well and so blatantly we we hurried about the best of market, but I do think I don't know right now I don't want to take any of that. And you know and I don't know whether Stargate some advice that was given to me slowing down but it that's making out when you not experience that I want to take any chance sure well let's get to that. You're just psychics.

Do you know roughly what percentage of your total income is going to those 401(k)s are for three B's have about my life all be okay. I have about lastly 700 K and Dan and is what about the investments inside those are you invested in mutual funds are some of the subaccounts and those 401(k)s now� Follow what I now that I think it can think 500 account FNP 500. I think both of both of those accounts are okay. So you're already in the market and taking risk with that doesn't mean that's a bad thing but but you are invested in stocks.

It sounds like the S&P 500 which would be a fairly no aggressive not overly aggressive but it's certainly not a conservative account because it's all growth stocks. Now what about just bumping up the contributions of those 401(k)s as opposed to trying to invest outside of that, because what I would be looking to do is to get the total contributions going into those tax-deferred accounts up to 10 to 15% of your income and then inside those 401(k)s and 43 B's make sure you're picking the right investments so that it matches your risk tolerance because you said you want to be on the more conservative end of the investment spectrum, I would do that as long as this is for the long term Astrid before I would be looking to know invest outside of those accounts because the tax deferral is really going to benefit you. So let's do this I would contact your HR department and see if you can get somebody from the plan administrator to contact you for each of the retirement accounts to go over the investment options in their so you can see where you invested now and is that the right place. Should you make a change to bring that more in line with your goals and objectives and then I think you can have the freedom at that point to begin ratcheting up the amount that's going into those accounts toward that 10 to 15% of your income goal as opposed to just a flat amount like you're doing right now so I would take that as your next step also want to send you a copy of the sound mind investing handbook so if you stay on the line will get your information, I think that'll be a blessing to you so you can begin to learn about not only investing but investing from God's perspective and thank you for your call today to finish today in Chicago, Illinois Thomas, how can I help you jerk Michael question was if there ever a time with a permit like where you're in so deep it is better to keep the policy for canceling moving into the market, not necessarily him and I think it's all a function of what is the surrender values that you have available to you and then beyond that.

Are there any penalties associated with you taking that money out. I think the other consideration is how does the death benefit. That's a part of that policy.

If there is one factor into your overall financial plan and let's make sure that you have the appropriate amount of life insurance coverage which I would prefer you to have as a term policy before you cancel anything because we want to offset that risk. If you were to something were to happen. The people counting on your income, but there's enough death benefit to offset that risk entirely. So you know, as you look at this I would be looking at how I get the right coverage first and once that's in place now what cash value is there.

What penalties would go into place and then you know what could I do to repurpose those investments so that that money could grow. Perhaps without any of the things that are holding it back. You know inside that policy and without the ongoing fees.

Does that make sense okay so I would take a hard look at that and just see how you been doing return was one of the penalties would death benefit to I need. I think what you get those pieces and place it will be clear whether it's time to collapse the policy invest separately which would always be my preference but always be sure that you have the right to place Thomas may push you to do it for us today folks.

Thanks for listening to appreciated moneywise lives of partnership.

Moneywise you want to say thank you, Eric Tidwell unfolds Deb Solomon producing today was executive in Anderson well and without