Welcome to the first step to financial freedom! Budgeting is the best place to start. So pat yourself on the back and make a nice cup of tea or coffee, because in this ebook I will take you on the road to drawing up nice and realistic personal budgets. Having insight is the most important step to take. This way you know exactly where your money is going and thus gaining control over your expenses.

Being in control of your finances helps you achieve your financial goals and also reduces stress around any debts. In addition, it ensures that you will enjoy money and (hopefully) make better choices for your financial future!

So what are we going to cover in this ebook?

• What is budgeting?


• Why should I have a budget?


• The budget method


• Applying your budget


• Do’s & don’ts


• More financial tips


• Examples

But before we get started, a short introduction about me! My name is Saska and I have been making budgets ever since I could count and calculate. When I was about 8 years old I wanted to buy a farm with all kinds of animals. My parents would often find me calculating how much of my pocket money I still had to save to be able to do this “when I grew up”. Owning a farm has not yet become a reality but keeping overviews and making budgets is a habit that stuck with me..

Fast-forward 16 years later: I just started following with two masters at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Economics and finance are still great passions in which I feel at home. So it's no surprise that I started taking the MSc International Economics & Business and MSc International Financial Management. After two years of hard work, I have received my two master degrees. My working career started as an auditor at a Big Four firm, because yes, numbers just suit me. Another fast-forward 5 years later: I work as a business controller in which making budgets and forecasts is my day-to-day work. But no worries, this ebook does not contain any difficult job-specific lingo so it will be easy to follow for everybody.

I hope to inspire you to take your finances into your own hands and to ensure that you never have to stress about money again. For me, this starts with drawing up a good personal budget. Good luck and I wish you all the financial happiness in the world!