One of the reasons why some people abandon their budget is because it seems too rigid, too forced for them to follow.  A good alternative is the concept of flexible budgeting, where you are able to still develop guidelines for spending without specific categories.

For instance, some women want to budget haircuts and colors, but may not do that monthly.  In that case, you could create a high-level budget item called “Personal”.  In that category, include a pot of money for items for yourself.  So, in the month you get your hair cut and colored, you would have less for other stuff.  Each month, you have the option of spending your “Personal” budget any way you’d like, but once it’s gone, it’s gone!

I’ve used flexible budgeting in the past, and included things like clothing for myself, haircuts, lunches out, etc in that pool.  When I bought extra clothes for myself, I knew that I’d have to start brown bagging my lunches and bringing coffee from home to stay within the budget.

So, what do you think?  Could flexible budgeting work for you?