Why Do I Always Feel Behind on Money Even When I’m Trying to Budget?

Pushing a card to your car. You got your receipt in your hand. Now you just left the store. You didn't splurge, you didn't wander the different aisles.But still, it costs more than it should. So let me ask you, have you ever looked at your budget and felt like it's just laughing at you?You're trying to be responsible, you're trying to plan, even trying to cut back sometimes. But then groceries just go up, the price at the pump goes up, and even insurance is going up. And suddenly you're behind again.And it's not because you're careless, and it's certainly not because you don't love God. But it's because life keeps changing. If you're tired of feeling like you can never catch up, today's for. Hey, friend Ralph Estep Jr. here.This is Financially Confident Christian, where every day we're trying to break that cycle of financial shame and do it with confidence. And today we're talking about why you're always feeling behind, even when you're trying to budget. So let's get into today's question.I keep trying to budget, but every time prices go up and everything just falls apart. I'm tired of always feeling behind and anxious about money. How do I make a plan that actually holds up when things keep changing?I want something that works without constantly failing me. What a great question. And listen, I felt that failing, too. But I need to tell you right now, your budget isn't failing you.It just needs some flexibility. And honestly, it needs some margin. So how do we get there? First thing we've got to do, we've got to stop looking at building a perfect month budget.Most people do like you do, they build budgets based on ideal numbers. But the problem about ideal numbers is the world's not ideal. Prices go up.So if you're not budgeting in surprises, if you're not budgeting in overages and say maybe you're not budgeting any life into it, it's not going to work because life is not predictable. I wish I could tell you that life was predictable and always be this way, but you and I both know it's not that way.So instead of asking, what should this cost? I think we've got to rephrase it. And we've got to ask ourselves, what has it actually been costing us? Because that's the real truth here.We've got to find the real averages of what stuff is costing for the past three to six months. Because that reality, when you look at the actual numbers that's what's going to reduce your frustration.Second thing, we've got to create what I call a shock absorber category. Because if you're like me, you realize prices are changing. Seems like it happens all the time.Seems like every week when we go to the grocery store, the numbers are going up again. Hey, cars break down and kids grow up and stuff gets more expensive.So we've got to build in a small inflation buffer or what I call a life happens line. Even if it's just $50 or $100 a month, putting it into that flexibility fund gives your plan some breathing room.Because what I really hear in your question today is you don't have any breathing room. And see, when you don't have any breathing room, you live in this constant state of anxiety. You're so worried that the numbers are going to go over.Well, guess what? They are going to go over. Here's another pro tip.When I work with people with budgeting, I think budgeting percentages is better than budgeting fixed numbers, especially when everything is fluctuating in prices. Because percentages hold better than fixed amounts. Instead of saying stuff like, I'll save exactly $400, because sometimes that's tough to do.It depends on what's going on that month. Say something like this, I'm going to save 10% of my income. Because I like that. Because. And if your income rises, you're actually saving more.But if your income falls, the plan adjusts automatically. And when you have that flexibility, that flexibility allows you to survive those storms. Here's another thing I want you to consider.Budgets aren't cast in stone. You've got to adjust them monthly. Now listen to me. Don't adjust them from an emotional standpoint.It's not the time to adjust it when you just left the grocery store and you're stressed out because everything goes up in price. But when something goes over budget, don't panic. That's a time to go back and look at it. Pause for a second. Review that budget.Maybe you've got to reallocate, shuffle some things around. Because a budget is a tool, kind of like a hammer. If you use it correctly, it is very effective. But it's not a judge.You can't think about it like this. Let's say you're driving down the road and you miss a turn. Well, you don't throw away the GPS because you missed the turn. Maybe you made the mistake.What you do is you change your route. We've got to think about budgeting in the same way. And finally, we've got to separate stewardship from self worth.If you feel behind, and so many of us have felt this, it doesn't mean you're behind in life. It means you're navigating an economy that is tough. Listen, the economy right now that we're in is shifting like sand. It's not easy.So don't beat yourself up. God is not measuring you by how effective you are with your grocery bill.And that financial pressure that all of us have faced is not some big spiritual failure in this budgeting process. We've got to be focused on progress and not perfection. And that's a thing that trips up so many people. So here's your single step takeaway for today.This week or today, I want you to review one category that keeps blowing up your budget. What is the thing that seems like it's always going over? Maybe for you it's groceries. Maybe for you it's insurance or fuel.Or maybe it's those kids expenses. And I'm not asking you to do that to shame yourself. I just want you to match it up to reality. Give your plan permission to tell the truth.Well, let's get to our Bible verse today comes to us from the Book of James, chapter one, verse five. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.What a great reassuring verse. Because you don't need more guilt. You notice today I haven't been talking about guilt. I understand what you're feeling.I understand the frustration of trying to budget and trying to get ahead. But what you really need right now is God's wisdom to adjust wisely and break that shape.How about we pray together, Father God, you see the pressure, you see the numbers, you see the quiet anxiety we carry around with us about money. So Lord, when prices rise and our our planes just seem to fall apart, help us not to fall apart with them.Lord, give us wisdom just like you promised in James 1:5. Give us that wisdom to adjust, that wisdom to plan and that wisdom to breathe. Remove that shame that tells us we're failing.And Lord, just replace it with confidence that's deeply rooted in you as our anchor. Teach us to steward faithfully without trying our tying our worth to our spreadsheets. Lord, we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.Hey, you're not behind, you're learning.And if you've got a question weighing on you, just like today's question, I want to encourage you right now, send it to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/question we'll put that in the show notes, but I'll give it to you again right now. It's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/questionand I just want to thank you so much for joining me today. Stay financially savvy. May God bless you. And you have a great day today.