KENNEDYJ . GILBERTSON THE PLATFORM MAGAZINE

GIVE THANKS FOR BUDGETING EARLY

You might think it’s a little too early to start setting up your Christmas budget. But if you want to have zero stress and a hefty fund of savings to pull from by the time Christmas gets here, then guess what? You have to start early. You can still enjoy all that autumn and other holidays have to offer while sneakily stashing away money for Christmas.

Zero Stress. Zero-Based Budget What Is a Zero-Based Budget? Before we can dive in, you need a little background on zero-based budgets. The concept is simple: income minus outgo equals zero.

In other words, if you earn $3,000 a month, you want every dollar you spend, save, give, or invest to add up to $3,000. That way you know where every one of your dollars is going.

Not knowing where your money is going can really derail your finances. Without a budget, you might look up one day and find you have no money - and no clue about where it even went. That’s why having a zerobased budget is so important all year long, especially when you are trying to keep your Christmas spending in line.

Making A Zero-Based Christmas Budget Here’s how to make a Zero-Based Budget in four easy steps:

1. Write down your monthly income. Any and all money that comes into your household each month is considered income. This should include paychecks, small business income, side jobs, residual income, and so on.