The word “budget” has such a negative connotation in today’s society. Individuals associate the act of budgeting with some sort of militant regimen that hinders them from having any sort of flexibility with their money.
“預(yù)算”這個(gè)詞似乎在當(dāng)今社會(huì)略帶貶義。人們常常會(huì)用類(lèi)似于軍事化的規(guī)則來(lái)控制預(yù)算，好讓他們?cè)诮疱X(qián)這塊不至于手頭過(guò)緊。

The end result? Failure.
最后的結(jié)果呢？當(dāng)然是失敗。

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to prevent your budget from failing and make it work for you, minus the ball and chain.
好在，這里有很多方法可以讓你免于財(cái)政赤字，減輕你的負(fù)擔(dān)。

Before you create your budget, track spending for at least one month to get a better idea of where your money actually goes. Once you’ve taken this pertinent step, consider the following tips to help you stay on track throughout the month.
在設(shè)立預(yù)算之前，先來(lái)對(duì)自己一個(gè)月的支出進(jìn)行大概的追蹤，這樣才能了解自己的錢(qián)到底花在什么地方去了。一旦這個(gè)步驟完成，再來(lái)根據(jù)下面的貼士來(lái)幫你控制每月的支出吧。

1) Be as specific as possible.
越詳細(xì)越好。

Fluffy budgets are destined for failure because they do not consider all the key factors. Big expenses are important, but it is the little things that will usually send you flying off the deep-end. If your budget demonstrates that you can cover all your fixed expenses with a little change to spare, you may feel somewhat satisfied until you realize midway through the month that things are going down-hill because you forgot to incorporate the daily visit to the nearest fast-food joint for lunch.
太過(guò)寬泛的記賬當(dāng)然不會(huì)有效，因?yàn)樗麄兒鲆暳怂械年P(guān)鍵因素。大的支出固然重要，但小的支出才是真正讓你月月光的原因。如果你的預(yù)算顯示除去每月固定開(kāi)銷(xiāo)之外，還有部分結(jié)余可供支配，但實(shí)際上不到月中你就已經(jīng)破產(chǎn)，為什么呢？還不就是因?yàn)槟愫鲆暳嗣刻於夹枰ゾ徒觳偷曛Ц兜奈绮唾M(fèi)么。

Bottom line: every cent counts, so be sure to include those variable expenses down to the penny. To help you track variable spending, it may be a good idea to incorporate the envelope system. That way, your budget won’t stand a chance at failing.
建議：每分錢(qián)都很重要，所以別忘記把那些小錢(qián)也算在開(kāi)銷(xiāo)里面。要想記下紛雜的開(kāi)銷(xiāo)，不妨考慮一下信封系統(tǒng)。這樣，你的預(yù)算絕對(duì)不會(huì)超支了。

2) Set realistic expectations.
設(shè)立現(xiàn)實(shí)點(diǎn)的期望

It never hurts to dream big, but actually making them a reality is another story. The same rule applies to budgeting: unrealistic figures will set you up for failure each and every month.
夢(mèng)想再大也不為過(guò)，但要實(shí)現(xiàn)它就是另外一回事了。這個(gè)定理也同樣適用于預(yù)算：不切實(shí)際的數(shù)據(jù)只會(huì)讓你月月光。

If you know that you spend a certain amount of money each week on groceries, do not attempt to cut the number in half just for the sake of making the budget balance. Instead, make small cuts over time to build the momentum and prevent you from getting discouraged.
如果你知道每周在雜貨店花多少錢(qián)，千萬(wàn)不要為了收支平衡來(lái)一次性縮減一半的開(kāi)支。相反，你可以慢慢減少開(kāi)支，這樣還能讓自己心情愉快。

3) Believe in yourself.
相信自己

This may sound a bit strange, but successful budgeting has a lot to do with your attitude. If you are pessimistic about the process and your inability to successfully commit to the plan from inception, you will probably fail miserably. On the other hand, if you learn to view your budget as a spending plan that will help you accomplish your current and future financial goals, you will more than likely be inclined to remain on track because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
這個(gè)聽(tīng)起來(lái)有點(diǎn)奇怪，但成功的預(yù)算多半取決于你的態(tài)度。如果你對(duì)過(guò)程非常的消極，也覺(jué)得自己沒(méi)有能力來(lái)成功的按照計(jì)劃執(zhí)行，你當(dāng)然會(huì)輸?shù)煤軕K。然而，如果你把預(yù)算看成是幫你完成近期和長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)經(jīng)濟(jì)目標(biāo)的計(jì)劃，你就更容易遵守，畢竟能讓你看到希望呀。

4) Solicit the assistance of an accountability partner.
拉上一個(gè)會(huì)算賬的伙伴。

Do not go out and ask your best buddy who agrees with everything you say and do for help. This is actually counter-productive. Instead, find someone to check-in with on a consistent basis who will be honest with you and hold you accountable for your spending habits each month.
千萬(wàn)別找那種你說(shuō)什么都正確的朋友來(lái)幫忙，這只會(huì)起到反效果。相反，要找那種會(huì)穩(wěn)扎穩(wěn)打?qū)δ阏f(shuō)實(shí)話的人，這樣才會(huì)幫你堅(jiān)持每個(gè)月的消費(fèi)習(xí)慣。

Some even go the extra mile to hire a financial coach that is seasoned in budgeting and can provide extensive assistance with budgeting.
有的人甚至還會(huì)花錢(qián)請(qǐng)一個(gè)財(cái)務(wù)教練來(lái)控制預(yù)算，以提供更大的預(yù)算支持。

5) Prepare for the unexpected.
對(duì)意外支出要有心理準(zhǔn)備。

Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where emergencies did not exist? Wishful thinking. Unexpected occurrences are inevitable, so it is important to incorporate a little padding in your budget each month to cover those moments that completely catch you off guard. Also, stash away a little cash each month to build up that emergency fund.
怎么可能生活在一個(gè)沒(méi)有意外事件的世界里呢？這只是幻想罷了。意外總是無(wú)法避免的，所以在每個(gè)月的預(yù)算中留出一部分作為意外支出很有必要，可以防止你到時(shí)候手忙腳亂。所以每個(gè)月存點(diǎn)錢(qián)來(lái)作為緊急基金吧。

6) Cut yourself a little slack.
給自己一點(diǎn)寬松的余地。

Let’s face it: sticking to a budget is hard work. That is why positive reinforcement is so important. Develop some sort of reward system for yourself that will motivate you to keep your eyes on the prize each month.
我們要知道：恪守預(yù)算實(shí)在太艱難了。所以積極的強(qiáng)制力十分重要。給自己設(shè)立點(diǎn)獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)機(jī)制，這樣能鼓勵(lì)你奔著獎(jiǎng)品前進(jìn)哦。

Following these tips on a consistent basis will help put your mind at ease when developing and executing your monthly spending plan.
長(zhǎng)期堅(jiān)持這些就能幫你輕松自如的指定每個(gè)月的花費(fèi)預(yù)算了。