Wondering how to budget? Building a Budget that Works is an easy to follow workbook designed to make your money work for you.

My relationship with debt began in 1996, my freshman year of college, with a free t-shirt from American Express and a $500 credit limit. Almost 20 years later, I still have hefty student loans, payments on financed purchases, and lingering debt from things long-gone. I guess I never really got the concept of paying cash or using credit responsibly.The good news is that I don’t have any credit cards or auto loans.
Being in debt feels overwhelming, suffocating, discouraging, and sometimes hopeless. I compare it to nearly drowning in the ocean. Imagine that you are swimming, but have become overwhelmed by the waves, the water suffocates the oxygen out of your body, the tide gets stronger, and there is no help in sight. That’s how being in debt feels. As the Bible says in Proverbs 22:7, “the borrower is slave to the lender.”
The path to financial freedom begins with a budget.
Jessi Fearon of The Budget Mama has created an ebook titled Building a Budget that Works. I am part of her book launch team, so I had the opportunity to review the book and tell you all about before it’s release.
Jessi is an avid money saver and frugal shopper who loves a great budget. She accumulated, survived and paid off over $30,000 in debt before turning 30. During her years in college, she realized that there were no courses offered (or required) for personal finance.
Personal finance is something that affects everyone, from every walk of life and is something that should not be taken lightly. After earning her accounting degree from Kennesaw State University she decided to help change America’s debt crisis. Her vision is to inspire and encourage others on the road to financial freedom.
Jessi has a video to tell you all about the book:
What’s included?
This book is 48 pages long and includes Jessi’s personal set of budgeting printables to help you maximize your budget. She intended for the book to be a workbook to make the budgeting process easier.
- How do you build a budget that works?
- Budgeting for Annual Expenses
- Setting Up a Monthly Budget
- Cutting Your Expenses
- Sticking to Your Budget
- Key Points to Remember
- Printables
Who Is This Book For?
Anyone who wants to budget, but needs an easy way to get started.
Anyone who is struggling to maintain their current budget.
My Favorite Advice From the Book
“Invest in a Money Minute: Every morning or right before going to bed, have a money minute. This is a sixty-second window in your day that you spend looking over your money. You balance out the day’s transactions, check off bills that have been paid, and prepare the coming day’s financial events. Performing this simple task every day will ensure that you have explicit knowledge of where your money is.”
“Separate funds for variable (or discretionary) expenses.”
Build a Budget that Works is available at Jessi’s website.
Just getting started? Read Jessi’s first book for free: The Four Basic Steps to Budgeting; A Step by Step Guide.
If you’re looking for more financial advice, don’t miss these posts:
- 8 Really Unique Ways Of Teaching Kids About Money
- Minimizing the Cost of Living as a Working Mom
- Teaching Financial Habits to Your Children
- Should Moms Share Financial Struggles with Children
- Working Moms Guide to Guilt-Free Spending
- Money Lessons From Mom
- Money Management Tips for Moms
- Busy Mom’s Guide to Finance
- Financial and Lifestyle Tips for the Working Mom
- Working Mom’s Third Job as Household CFO?
Thank you so much for your kind words and your amazing story! I applied for a credit card for the free shirt too! Debt is very much like the vast ocean and it can be so suffocating. So happy to have someone else on this debt-free journey!