Get Your Personal Budget Under Control: One Decision at a Time

By Dr. Mary C. Kelly, Leadership Economist and Hall of Fame Speaker

It started this morning when I saw a credit card charge for HBO for $12.03/month. I was watching a series and wanted to finish the season. That season ended months ago, and I was still paying for it, which prompted this article.

Most people do not have a money problem.
They have a clarity problem.

Money leaks quietly. Subscriptions renew automatically. Small purchases feel insignificant. Convenience becomes a habit. And before you know it, your bank balance is telling a story you never intentionally wrote.

I learned this when I wrote Money Smart: How Not to Buy Cat Food When You Do Not Have a Cat, a personal finance book for 18–30-year-olds (and some of their parents).

Getting your personal budget under control does not start with spreadsheets, apps, or financial guilt. It starts with visibility, discipline, and writing things down.

Here is how to start:

1. Track Every Expenditure for 30 Days

No exceptions.
Every penny.
Yes—every one.

For the next 30 days, write down everything you spend, whether it is a mortgage payment or a $2.49 coffee. Cash, credit, debit, Venmo, subscriptions, tips—if money leaves your control, it gets recorded.

Why this works:

• You see where your money actually goes (not where you think it goes)
• Subscriptions surface—often shockingly so
• Patterns emerge (impulse spending, convenience spending, emotional spending)
• Awareness alone typically reduces spending by 10–20%

This step is non-negotiable. You cannot control what you do not know.

And yes, this MUST be written down. Not “tracked in your head.” Not “checked later.” Writing engages a different part of the brain. It forces honesty.

Once you complete the 30-day snapshot, you are ready to move from awareness to control.

2. Cancel Ruthlessly

Subscriptions are the modern financial parasite. Streaming services, apps, memberships, auto-ship programs. You probably have more than you need or use.

Ask two simple questions:
“Do I really need this?”
“If this didn’t renew automatically, would I actively re-buy it?”

If the answer is no, cancel it.

3. Separate Needs from Wants in Writing

Not philosophically. Not emotionally. On paper.

Housing, utilities, insurance, healthy groceries, and transportation = needs.
Dining out, upgrades, impulse buys, convenience fees = wants.

There is nothing wrong with wants—but pretending they are needs destroys budgets.

4. Assign Every Dollar a Job

Money without purpose disappears. Before the month begins, write down where each dollar is supposed to go:

• Living expenses that are necessities
• Savings
• Debt reduction
• Giving
• Fun – these are wants

If money does not have a job, it wanders.

5. Pay Yourself First

Savings should not be “whatever is left.”

Even if it is $25 a week, automate it. Treat savings like a non-negotiable bill you owe your future self.

Progress beats perfection every time.

6. Use a Mental Time Delays on Non-Essential Purchases

Create a 48-hour pause rule for anything non-essential, or especially anything you buy online.

Most impulse purchases evaporate with time.

7. Set Spending Guardrails, Not Deprivation Rules

Budgets fail when they feel like a punishment. I personally love a budget because I like to see things mapped out.

Instead of “I can’t spend money on…” write:

• $X per month for dining
• $X for entertainment
• $X for discretionary spending

Freedom within limits is sustainable.

8. Hold a Weekly Money Meeting with Yourself

Once a week, review:

• What you spent
• What surprised you
• What needs adjusting next week

Ten minutes. Written notes. No judgment, just information.

Consistency beats intensity.

9. Build a Small Emergency Buffer

You do not need a massive emergency fund overnight.

Start with $500.
Then $1,000.
Then one month of expenses. Then three months of expenses. Then 6 months.

Financial stress drops dramatically when surprises, like the washing machine stops working, does not become a crisis.

10. Write It Down or It Does not Count

This is the key that ties everything together.

Budgets that live in your head fail.
Budgets written on paper or in a simple worksheet work.

Writing creates commitment. It turns intention into action.

You Do not Need a Fancy App or a Special Program, You Need Good Habits

If you want a simple, practical, free budget template to get started, I have made one for you. It even does the math for you. Just plug in the numbers.

www.ProductiveLeaders.com/free-resources

It is:

• Clear
• Written
• Easy to update
• Focused on control, not restriction

Getting your budget under control is not about being perfect with money.
It is about being intentional.

When you decide where your money goes, before it leaves you, you stop reacting and start leading. That is clarity.

And leadership, even personal leadership, always begins with clarity.

For more help with your personal finances: Money Smart