The five habits that quietly break budgets — and the simple fixes for each one.
The most common budgeting mistake is optimism: building a plan for the person you wish you were rather than the person you are.
Others include forgetting irregular annual expenses, budgeting without an emergency buffer, tracking too many categories, and abandoning the budget after a single bad week.
The fix for all five is the same: fewer categories, realistic targets and a quick weekly review that takes under five minutes.