Everyone has tried to go on a budget at one point or another, only to find it too stringent, slip up, and go on a shopping spree. These money binges are results of budgets that are not reasonable. These are the budgets where ever penny is planned for, and there is no allowance for anything fun. To make a budget work, it has to allow for things like spontaneity and long term planning.

Budgeting for the Basics
There are many things -- like groceries and entertainment -- people don