
Dear Dave,
I started following your plan at the first of the year. It was one of my New Year’s resolutions. I even budgeted for Christmas each month. I’ve already gotten my holiday shopping done early, but in the process, I went a little crazy and overspent. Realistically, I know things will be okay. I stayed on track all year until now, but I’m still feeling ashamed about blowing my budget this month after doing so well the rest of the year. Do you have any suggestions for dealing with the guilt and getting motivated again?
Madelyn
Dear Madelyn,
You decided to take control of your finances nearly a year ago. And up until just recently it sounds like you were doing a great job. Lots of folks make mistakes in the first year. It’s only natural when you’re trying on a completely new behavior, whether it’s with money or something else.