__People come up with all kinds of reasons not to budget, but none of them are very good. Everyone needs a spending plan and living without one is like walking a financial tightrope.__

The biggest reason to budget is that it’s a biblical principle. You won’t find the word “budget” in the Bible, but it does say a lot about stewardship— and budgeting is stewardship__*.*__

Having a spending plan and sticking to it is the only way to control your money, stay out of debt and gain peace of mind about your finances. __When you practice faithful stewardship, you no longer have to worry about *your* money, because you’ve accepted that it’s *God’s money.* He owns everything.__

So budgeting is a key part of stewardship. When you live on a budget, you know where your money is going because you’ve planned it ahead of time. Proverbs 27:23 puts it like this, *“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.”* Of course, back when that was written, flocks and herds *were* money.

Perhaps the verse most associated with budgeting is Proverbs 21:20, *“Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.”* People without a budget often end up living paycheck to paycheck.

Those are just a few of the many reasons why everyone should budget. Now let’s look at some of the reasons why folks say they can’t or won’t.

__One you’ll hear a lot is, “I’m terrible at math, so I can’t budget.”__ Well, good news! The [FaithFi app](https://www.faithfi.com/manage) will do all the math for you and help you set up a budget in no time.

__Another top excuse is, “I make plenty of money so I don’t need to budget.”__ Well, what if you suddenly *stopped* making plenty of money because you lose your job? People are surprised by layoffs every day, especially today with predictions of a looming recession. That’s why everyone needs three to six months’ worth of living expenses in their emergency fund. Try saving that up without a budget!

__Another faulty reason for not budgeting goes like this: “I’ll always have unemployment benefits if I lose my job.”__ You would only think that’s a good plan if you’ve never relied on unemployment benefits before. Odds are they won’t come close to what you’re making.

__The next excuse is probably true for a lot of folks. It’s “I'm afraid to set up a budget.”__ They don’t want to know how much they’ve been spending on things they don’t really need.

It’s always a shock to discover how much you’re *over*-spending on things like groceries and eating out, but it’s necessary because it gives you a starting point. By planning meals more carefully, you can trim your spending. That will free up discretionary income that you can put to better use somewhere else, such as your emergency fund.

__Here’s another reason given for not budgeting, “I tried it and it didn’t work.”__ Almost everyone living successfully on a budget will tell you it didn’t work *at first.* Your spending plan will always need to be adjusted. You just have to keep trying. Learning to live on a budget is a life-changing experience, so it’s definitely worth the effort.

__Finally, you might hear, “I don’t need to budget because I’ve always got money left over each month.”__ Well, with the inflation we’re seeing now, you’ve probably noticed you have less and less left over at the end of the month. There’s also something called “lifestyle creep.” It means the more money you have available, the more you spend. Raises and tax refunds are quickly gobbled up. Then, if you suffer a loss of income, you’ll wish you’d saved that money.

If God has blessed you with more than you need right now, that’s even more reason to use it wisely. A spending plan will also help you be more intentional with your giving. It’s all God’s money anyway, and we should use it to give glory to Him.

What many “non-budgeters” don’t realize is that most people eventually *do* learn to live on a budget. If they don’t do it voluntarily, they’ll eventually be forced to** by debt. The trick is to set up a plan for spending wisely before that happens.

And when you stick with it for a few months, you’ll discover that it isn’t really limiting at all, but actually *liberating.* You have the same amount of money. You’re just deciding ahead of time where it goes.

__One financial commentator said a budget is really a fence around your money, keeping it safe from the wolves of impulse spending. You can hide behind your budget fence and avoid a great deal of financial danger.__

You can also __[listen](https://www.faithfi.com/search?q=A%20Budget%20Is%20Like%20a%20Fence&videos=true&articles=true&podcasts=true&posts=true&groups=true&events=true&support=true)__ to the related podcast on this topic.

FaithFi

Articles

Having a spending plan and sticking to it is the only way to control your money, stay out of debt & gain peace of mind.

MANAGE | May 1, 2025

A Budget Is Like a Fence

By: Jim Henry

Where Faith Meets Finance

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