Introduction 1Part 1: All about Budgeting 5Chapter 1: Beginning with Budgeting Basics 7Chapter 2: Breaking Down the Parts of a Budget 21Part 2: Finding a Budget That Works for You 37Chapter 3: Zero-Based Budgeting 39Chapter 4: The 50/30/20 Budget 59Chapter 5: The Envelope Budget 77Chapter 6: The Pay-Yourself-First Budget 95Chapter 7: Tips for Creating a New Budget 107Part 3: Taking Care of Your Priorities 127Chapter 8: Establishing an Emergency Fund 129Chapter 9: Saving for Your Retirement 147Chapter 10: Eliminating Debt 153Part 4: Budgeting in Action 177Chapter 11: Budgeting in a Tough Economy 179Chapter 12: Budgeting during Different Life Stages 193Chapter 13: Budgeting for a Major Purchase or Life Event 211Part 5: Using Your Budget for Money Management 231Chapter 14: Budgeting for Major Life Changes 233Chapter 15: Keeping Tabs on Credit Card Spending 249Chapter 16: Using a Budget to Plan for the Future 259Part 6: The Part of Tens 275Chapter 17: Ten Creative Ways to Budget 277Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Stay Motivated When Following a Budget 281Index 285
Athena Valentine Lent is the founder of Money Smart Latina, a blog and financial education resource center. She leads workshops and classes on money management, financial resiliency, and navigating finances. She publishes a personal finance column at Slate.com.
