Thursday, July 17, 2014

"On a budget"

Have you ever heard (or perhaps used) the phrase "on a budget?"  To me this seems like a very misrepresented string of words.
I have spent many hours days scouring websites I found by typing in phrases such as "living room decor on a budget," "homeschooling on a budget," and "building a wardrobe on a budget."  I find myself reading some of these and getting angry because the title says "on a budget" but these people spent $25,000 on a bathroom remodel or $200 on a summer outfit. That is NOT ON A BUDGET!!! I scream to myself.  No, I have been wrong in thinking screaming that and getting angry. That could be on a budget, but it is just not in my budget. I used to be under the incorrect assumption that "on a budget" meant really cheap and affordable for me. No,
"on a budget" means on the budget the person doing whatever it is they're doing set up.  If the Jones' family over here saved up $30,000 for a kitchen remodel then that remodel is "on a budget." It just doesn't fit my $300 budget.

We budget $350/mo for groceries for our family of 4.  Some people
would look at that number and think it is way too high; others would wonder how we do it because that number is so low. Each family has their own budget when it comes to food, clothing, activities, etc... Just because someone else's is a higher number than yours doesn't mean they're not budgeting or living "on a budget," they're living on their own budget.

Personal finance is just that... personal.

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