? Welcome to the podcast show notes for today's episode! ?

? Hey there, amazing listeners! Are you ready to take your budgeting skills from beginner to pro? If you've ever felt stuck or paralyzed when it comes to budgeting and wondered when to start saving or paying off debt, you're in the right place! We're here to guide you through the steps to level up your budgeting game. Let's go from that initial budget creation to building a legacy. ?

?‍?‍? Let's talk about the three phases of budgeting – Beginner, Middle, and Pro!

Beginner Budgeting - Getting Started:
- Many of our clients and listeners have never started a budget or found it hard to stick to one. Don't worry; you're not alone!
- The first step is to get on a budget, and we're here to help you with that.
- Start by creating a Bills Account where you'll pay your bills and debt from your income.
- Separate your bills from your spending and focus on minimal spending. Ask yourself, "What do I absolutely need?"
- Keep your spending categories minimal at the beginning – pocket money, restaurant expenses, gas, and groceries.
- Create wiggle room in your budget by cutting unnecessary expenses and putting extra money toward debt.

Middle Budgeting - Learning and Perfecting:
- In the middle phase, you're still learning, but you're not a beginner anymore.
- Perfect your Paycheck Plan: Deposit your income into a Bills Account, then allocate it to spending and savings.
- Implement automation to fund your categories automatically.
- Add minimal savings buckets for immediate needs like holidays, car maintenance, and birthdays.
- Start identifying and planning for "unexpected" expenses ahead of time.
- Continue to pay off debt while building good budgeting habits.

Pro Budgeting - Graduating to Pro Status:
- Congratulations! You've graduated to the Pro level of budgeting.
- Fully fund your savings buckets and plan for expenses 12 months ahead.
- Consider ramping up your investments, like increasing contributions to retirement plans or starting a Roth IRA.
- Refine your spending habits and reduce unnecessary expenses.
- Have conversations about responsible spending with your kids and teach them about budgeting.
- Enjoy the freedom of being more generous, whether it's giving to causes you care about or helping your kids with their financial future.
- Dream big and set ambitious financial goals, watching your net worth grow and securing your financial future.

? Remember, you're the boss of your money now, and you can make it work for you!

? Ready to level up your budgeting game? Grab our Budget Power Hour at myendobalance.com/workshop and take control of your financial future. You've got this! ?

Thanks for joining us today on this budgeting journey. We hope you found this episode helpful and empowering. Until next time, keep budgeting, keep growing, and keep smiling! ??

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