If I was 25 again I would… …love budgeting!

I wouldn’t be scared of the ‘B word’ – budgeting. In fact, I’d make a bit of a game of it, tracking where my money was coming from and cracking the mystery of where it was going. There might not be much I could do about my income, so I’d focus on the spending side; working out how much I had to spend and what was ‘discretionary. Chances are I’d be shocked by what I discovered – spending on things I really didn’t need or particularly want, and not spending on things that are important to me. I would also set some short-term goals such as saving for overseas travel, a home deposit or supporting a good cause, while leaving room for fun in the here and now. Without being too rigid my goals would help me to prioritise my discretionary spending, support a considered savings plan, and help me get more, not less, enjoyment out of life.