"I'm Sticking to a Strict Budget During the Pandemic But It's Making Me Miserable"

The word "budget" is often synonymous with restricted and rigid, making you want to avoid it. Instead, use the term "cash flow."

The formula for cash flow is:

(Monthly income) - (Monthly expenses + saving) = (Money left to spend.)

Your budgeting style will change over your lifetime. You may use the envelope method when you need to be stricter with yourself.

Some people feel less stressed when they use budgeting styles that track every penny. Others find it is enough to run cash flow and know there's some money left each month for nonessentials. They don't need to itemize where every dollar is spent. See what style of budgeting support your goals and sanity, then adjust as needed.