Budgeting is always a challenge. there always seem to be more expenses than funds available. I'm not going to tell you how to construct a budget. There are tons of websites that do that. I'm just going to give you some tips to help that process go well.

• Don't guess when entering numbers in your budget. Actually look at your bills or bank records to get accurate amounts. If you don't actually review past bills and bank activity, you are sure to miss things.
• Some financial gurus recommend doing as much as possible with cash. I personally don't follow that path because I don't like carrying cash or keeping too much of it in the house. But if you find yourself overspending on your credit or debit cards, that might be a useful strategy. Divide the budgeted amounts of cash (for food, gas, entertainment, etc.) into jars. When the jar is empty, your spending is done.
• Be realistic. You aren't going to get by on $20 for food (unless it's summer and you have a garden and chickens). Don't set yourself up for failure.
• Make savings and contingencies a line item in your budget. You need to save regularly and you KNOW stuff will come up.
• It might help to have seasonal budgets. I know my gas bill is higher in the winter and my electric bill is higher in the summer. In the summer, I also have yard maintenance fees. No one ever said that your budget has to be identical every month. You just can't spend more than you earn.
• If you have debt, be as aggressive as is humanly possible in attacking it. The goal is to pay it off ASAP.
• If your budget doesn't balance, there are non-profit financial counselors that can help. Don't use the crazy credit-fixing companies. Many are scams.
• Make it a point to re-evaluate your budget at least quarterly to make sure it's realistic, to add any new expenses, to see if there are any cuts you can make, and to re-balance if necessary.

Any additions?