Under Par

I've not been golfing many times in my life. In fact, I have only done 18 holes once and it was a part of a celebration of interns at the company I worked for. Aside from that I have only done miniature golfing. In golf, each hole has what is called a par. This is a number that represents how many hits of the ball or strokes it should take to get the ball to and into the hole. It is a relatively low number despite the long distances some holes have between where you tee off (start) and where you put the ball into the hole. The player that has the lowest score, as in, took the fewest shots to get the ball into each of the holes wins! With a budget, you can think of each of your planned amount as a "par" for the budget item. The goal for each month is to keep your total expenses below that amount. Unlike the par for a golf hole, you are in charge of what that limit is. You set the value that you intend to beat each month. Just like in golf though, the more you are "under par" in your budget shows how much you are winning! By staying under the budget limit, you are keeping more of your money each month. This can be used to pay off debt, build an emergency fund, or start working for your future in a retirement account! If you are a golf enthusiast, and you happen to be struggling with budgeting and living under your limits, I challenge you to treat your budget like a golf game. See how far under par you can be by the end of the next month!