How To Are You What You Spend? How to Create a Personal Budget. Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Mint.com Published Mar 13, 2008 3 min read Advertising Disclosure The views expressed on this blog are those of the bloggers, and not necessarily those of Intuit. Third-party blogger may have received compensation for their time and services. Click here to read full disclosure on third-party bloggers. This blog does not provide legal, financial, accounting or tax advice. The content on this blog is "as is" and carries no warranties. Intuit does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the content on this blog. After 20 days, comments are closed on posts. Intuit may, but has no obligation to, monitor comments. Comments that include profanity or abusive language will not be posted. Click here to read full Terms of Service. Learning how to create a personal budget is something that we care about here at Mint. Learn more with great personal budgeting tips in our blog article index. We’ve all heard that “we are what we eat”. Is it equally true that how we choose to spend our money also defines us? Are we what we spend? Do we try hard enough to create a personal budget? And if so, then shouldn’t we make sure that our spending choices align with our personal goals? Are you curious to discover how well or poorly your spending reflects your personal priorities? For example: Let’s say your personal goals include: Create a Personal Budget Getting in better shape (and reducing your carbon footprint) by riding your bike to work once a week Becoming a better cook by making a gourmet dinner at home once a week Spending more time with your teenager Shouldn’t your budget and spending reflect those goals? Specifically, You should be reducing your spending on Gas Create a personal budget You should be reducing your Restaurant expenses, but possibly increasing your Grocery expenses Possibly budgeting for regular, even season tickets to an event your teen would actually attend with you Here’s a simple exercise you can do to synch up your budget plan with your personal goals: Write down your 3-5 most important goals which have some financial implications. Track Spending Determine the types of spending you typically do under each goal. Example: your fitness goal might impact your spending on Gas, Auto Maintenance and Sporting Goods. Mint Tip: You can use Mint.com’s 18 budget categories as a guide. Look back and see if your spending in each category has been moving in the right direction since you set that goal. Perhaps back to January 1 when you made those ambitious New Year’s Resolutions? If you’re on track, congratulations! If you have some room to improve, consider setting a monthly budget just for those categories. Pick a dollar amount which represents lower spending on the activities you’re trying to reduce (e.g. driving) and higher spending on the things you’re trying to do more of (e.g. tickets to sporting events). Mint Tip: Use “Add a Budget” feature in Mint.com to set up and tweak your monthly spending for each category. You can try out this feature in our Live Demo. After setting a budget, keep an eye on how you’re doing against it … and by association … against the personal goal it represents. Mint Tip: Mint.com can help you track spending and create a personal budget by sending you a text or email alert if you overspend in any spending category. By synching up your priorities and goals with your budget, you may discover that it’s now easier to make smart budgeting decisions. What’s more, you should find it easier to resolve potential conflicts between competing demands for your time and money. If we are (in part) what we spend, perhaps you and your money can get into better shape at the same time! Sign up for Mint.com today and see how better budgeting can simplify your life. Further Reading on the Topic: Track Spending Create a Personal Budget Budget Planner Software Make a Budget Previous Post Mint Welcomes Benchmark as New Investor Next Post The No Excuses Take Your Lunch To Work Guide Written by Mint.com More from Mint.com Browse Related Articles Mint App News Intuit Credit Karma welcomes all Minters! Retirement 101 5 Things the SECURE 2.0 Act changes about retirement Home Buying 101 What Are Homeowners Association (HOA) Fees and What Do … Financial Planning What Are Tax Deductions and Credits? 20 Ways To Save on… Financial Planning What Is Income Tax and How Is It Calculated? Investing 101 The 15 Best Investments for 2023 Investing 101 How To Buy Stocks: A Beginner’s Guide Investing 101 What Is Real Estate Wholesaling? Life What Is A Brushing Scam? Financial Planning WTFinance: Annuities vs Life Insurance