Today I have the great privilege of introducing a guest blogger! This is a man of great talent, charm, and heart: my husband Keith. There are many reasons why I think Keith is the awesomest. One, is that he is a really great budgeter! Keith has worked really hard at making a budget that works for us where giving, saving, and living within our means are the top priorities. He might not admit it, but he gets quite a thrill out of working on it throughout the month. He's taught me, a reformed non-budgeter, so much--both about budgeting and giving with a generous and joyful heart. I've always valued living more simply than extravagantly, and avoiding debt, and loved the idea of giving generously, but I was so disorganized, that I just didn't always keep track of it, and therefore couldn't do any of the above. Do you know what most often got me in the biggest trouble in college? Coffee! I rewarded myself for studying with a latte in the library cafe almost every day--and frequently blew up to $100 a month on coffee alone! $3.45 at a time. Craziness.
Now I actually look forward to the days when we count up our receipts and see how we're doing on the budget. It has a comfortable place in my mind when I'm shopping for anything. We have been privileged to set very reasonable goals, so it's not stressful, just intentional.
A few of our friends who know about our budget have recently requested that we help them set up under the same system. We decided it's something that we'd love to share with anyone who would want it, so we've made a template on google docs, that is applicable to Excel. It's pretty much geared towards an individual or couple with fairly uncomplicated expenses, but I think it's simple enough that it could be easily adapted to any lifestyle. Keith's post up after the jump. Enjoy!
Planting. Eating. Living. Loving.
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