Back in those days of 6 inch high heels and black power suits, I spent my days talking investments, retirement, insurance and risk management. So often I found myself saying, “more than anything, most people just need a good budget”.

As someone that has always dealt with a fluctuating income, traditional budgeting can be so frustrating! Also, budget’s have always felt like a “no you can’t” instead of a “yes you can”. So over the years I developed what I call a “spending plan!” Instead of focusing on the barriers, I focus on the possibilities!

I love planning because it allows me to define what is financially ENOUGH for our family and my business!

So, how do you set intentional $$ goals and calculate your financial NEED?

1.

Reverse Engineer your numbers

It’s a process of reverse engineering our numbers based on what we need/want and then backing into the plan to get there. Going into a year knowing exactly how much I NEED to sell in my business in order to pay myself the salary my family needs is amazing!

2.

Know your $$ Goals

There is so.much.freedom going into each new year with a money plan. I don’t have to say “yes” to projects that aren’t great fits out of fear of not having enough. I also know when I need to kick my butt in gear and push a little harder to hit our income numbers, I can. And vice versa, if I’m feeling particularly tired on the verge of burnout, I feel freedom knowing I can look at our numbers and see if I can slow down.

3.

Define Enough

More than anything, I love DEFINING ENOUGH during my annual planning process because I know with certainty I am spending money with intention! And that is the best feeling!

Related : See all five reasons I love annually planning in the Why I Plan Series.

Back in 2015 as we sat down and did our annual planning, we knew we wanted to do something big to celebrate Kyle graduating in 2016 and the end of that 5 year journey!
“A three month road trip? That’s crazy!” We thought!

But, we took our dream, put pen to paper and figured out if it was really possible! And it was! In July of 2016, we journeyed out on a 10-week road trip with nothing but our small SUV, a roof rack full of camping supplies and all-weather clothing, and our pup in the back seat!

There’s two things that made it work for us. A. We are both entrepreneurs and are able to “take off” for 3 months. We realize that’s not an option for everyone. B. We were in between homes at the time so we had no rent for 3 months. We took that money and started planning.

What is ENOUGH? What did we need to make this dream possible? We mapped out a plan and put our dollars to work toward our dream! We determined what was ENOUGH, and started saving!

Planning allows us to DEFINE ENOUGH for our family, our business, and our big dreams. It gives us freedom to pursue things by intentionally spending our money.

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