Change Your Mind, Change Your Budget

We can’t change the fact that you don’t know exactly when or how much you will get paid, but we can teach you to be in total control of your money, and stop stressing about it! This eight-part series will teach you exactly how to budget successfully and get ahead, variable income and all.

Hopefully, you’re all caught up (if not, see above!) because we’re diving right into the next variable income lesson, and it’s a good one. In fact, it might be your fast favorite because it’s probably something you’ve already mastered: changing your mind.

How Easy Is That?

For anyone trying to be smart with their money and live on a budget, it’s important to think critically about what you can afford and be realistic in planning for the inevitable, but unexpected. If you have a variable income, it is even more important. But even if you do it perfectly, and faithfully, and consistently—things change.

You get an opportunity you didn’t see coming. You decide to pivot and redirect your focus. The market takes a turn for the worse, and you have to hustle like never before. You lose a big client or land a big client—whatever—and you roll with it.

You adjust. You get creative. You change course. This is something you already do. And now, you have the freedom—the directive—to do it with your budget as well.

Roll With The Punches

We mean you don’t fight the fact that things are changing, or waste time feeling bad about it. The circumstances or information or even simply your priorities changed, and so your budget should change, too.

If you are offered a bigger job than you can handle on your own, you’ll have to hire an assistant, which wasn’t in the budget. Should you turn down the job? No way!

Should you give up budgeting? Of course not!

Change Is The Only Constant

So, what should you do? Change your budget. Re-prioritize. Hiring an assistant might mean delaying something else—a purchase, an experience, an investment—but nailing this big job has suddenly become much more important, more urgent, a clear priority. You move some money around and feel great that you are in control of your money.

If your circumstances or your priorities change, your budget should change too. You didn’t fail or do it wrong. It is supposed to change!

Rolling with the punches gives you breathing room—breathing room that you need to make budgeting something you can and will stick with for the long-term. Adjustments and changes won’t feel like disasters or impending doom. They’ll feel, well, normal. Because that’s just what they are. No guilt necessary.

Next up: Part 7: The Importance of Aging Your Money When Your Income is Unpredictable