1. Stick to It

Lastly—and this is the hardest part for most of us—you have to stick with it. If you put all this work into creating a budget and don't keep up with it, well, obviously all that work was for naught. Keep track of it every month, wait 48 hours before making any big purchases, and most importantly, accept that every once in awhile, you'll blow it—and that's okay. The best way to keep your budget is to have a healthy relationship with money, and not let it stress you out. If you can do that, you're golden.