Making a list

All of the financial experts say that this is the first thing to do, that it should be done early, and that you should set your budget at the time the list is made and stick to it. Really? No kidding? This advice is absolutely useless to me because it leaves out the most important part. HOW do you manage to stick to the budget? That has always been the problem for me. I know what I am supposed to do, what I don't know is why it is so impossible to do. It's like telling an overweight person that if they eat less and exercise more they will lose weight. They are probably aware of that fact already, thank you very much. What they (and I) don't know how to do is break the old habits and start new ones that they can live with and be successful with.

So I am going into this part very grudgingly. I don't like budgets. They have all sorts of negatives associated with them. It's all "Thou shalt nots" and I feel like I have failed before I have even begun. So all right, I will make the list, but I won't like it. And you can't make me stick to it.

Nieces and Nephews $20 each
1 infant boy
2 toddler boys
1 toddler girl
1 school age boy
1 school age girl
1 preteen girl
2 high school girls
2 college age girls


Couples $20-$50
Married neice
Dad and stepmother
Mom and stepfather
Mother and father inlaw

Small gifts $10-20
2 sisters
3 teachers
3 gifts for gift exchange parties I will attend

And then the big ones: In the past, it has been about $300 each

1 son, 27
1 son, 17
1 daughter, 14
1 son 11
Husband

For a grand total of $1,700. Ok, now I'm depressed. No wonder I don't like to make budgets. The book says if I can't pay for it with cash, I can't buy it. We don't have $1,700 just lying around, so the books say to get "creative". Sounds like popsicle sticks and coupon books to me. Bah! Humbug!