With the holidays approaching money is on everyone's minds and with that comes a heightened awareness of our budgets and where our pay checks are really going. Occasionally going over budget on entertainment and other fun stuff is okay, because you obviously have to treat yourself! But if you find that every month you are coming up short you may need to sit down and assess your situation. There are great tools online like Mint.com that provide consumers with an easy way to track their spending and create a comprehensive budget, Mint also offers a handy Android and Iphone app so you can keep track of your spending on the go.
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10. You let your emotions rule your money. If you find yourself shopping away anger, guilt, sadness, etc, take a moment to take stock of your emotional tank. If it’s running on empty, step out of the mall and instead talk to a friend, go for a walk, or play with your pet. I let my emotions dictate my spending for years until I finally understood that it really wasn’t the items I shopped for that I wanted–it was relief from the negative emotions and stress I was feeling.
Get more great financial and homeowner tips from The Happy Homeowner, and start tracking your budget on the go with Mint