Hooray! (a budgeting high)

Hello everyone!

See this??! I have gotten my kitchen and laundry in my new house renovated!

One of the coolest things about finally having a kitchen and laundry that I like is that I managed to get these rooms done (including having cupboards professionally installed) without having to borrow money.

I often get asked "How do I do it?" How do I manage to save so much despite having a mortgage and being on a single income?

I have blogged here before about menu planning, buying second-hand and not over-consuming in the first place. While all those things have certainly helped me, perhaps the biggest thing that motivates me to save are having clear goals.

For me, financial goals like "being rich" or even "being secure" are too vague. My financial goals have to be concrete - like "get a new kitchen and laundry". I can visualise goals like these and the clearer I can "see" it in my head, then the easier it is for me to save for it. For me visualising has always been an effective way to budget. By visualising my goals, I am able to stick to spending mindfully and carefully.

Now that I have finished this goals, my next big goal is to start building an investment portfolio. Trying to visualise that but can't quite see it yet. Still, I have faith that things on that front will soon become clearer for me.

What about you? What is your budgeting "trick"? Do you save? What motivates you to save?

I hope you have had a good weekend and wish you well for the coming week.