Budgeting. A painful but necessary exercise you can master (yes, you!)

Budgeting. You know you need to do it. You must.

So why is it this process pains us so much?

It’s because it’s not working for you now and probably hasn’t in the past, either. You aren’t saving more. Maybe you’re slipping off track.

I’ve named these seven steps “The Better Budget Roadmap,” designed to help you find peace with the process and, more importantly, find more money. Here we go.

Create a list of every mandatory expense you pay.

These are firm commitments that you have for your money, such as a mortgage, debt payments or child-care costs. Check your bank statements as a reference. They are typically fixed amounts, but can vary (such as grocery costs.)

Determine your non-essential expenses.

These are expenses that you could live without, and they generally fluctuate in their amounts. Examples are nail appointments or dining out.

Pick a small amount to set aside daily for a minimum of 90 days.

This can be as little as $1 per day, or more if you can spare it. The idea is that you pick a number that you can realistically commit to saving each day. This habit is important! Even though you might think the process is annoying, that’s kind of the point. New financial wellness habits require conscious action, and creating a daily habit — namely transferring money into your savings account — is just the right level of annoyance to train your brain to keep it up.

Plug your mandatory and non-essential expenses into your budget template and add your daily savings.

Download a free budgeting template from Google — the simpler, the better. Complex templates, apps and methods are a big reason people hate budgeting. Note that your daily savings needs to be tallied up to a total monthly amount.

Add your income to your budget template for the month ahead.

If you have a regular income, this is easy. If your income is unreliable, get as close as possible to what your income will be for the upcoming month.

Put every dollar to work so you don’t have a surplus or deficit.

You should not have any money left over. If you do, put it toward your savings, investing and debt payments. Having money left over is one of the biggest financial mistakes I see people make. Leftover money has a way of disappearing into outer space. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had a “Where did it all go?” money moment.

Track where your money is going for 30 days.

This will reveal the a-ha moments and offer insights into where to trim your budget. If something you’re spending money on doesn’t bring you joy, cut it out!

Repeat this budgeting process monthly and you will get better at it. Pair it with some positive financial self talk and your money mindset will strengthen.

Once you nail budgeting, you’ll be well on your way to taking control of your financial future.

Download our free Better Budget Roadmap here!

This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.