Building a Support Network
To stay disciplined and motivated to meet your financial goals, enlist the help of one or two close friends. Begin by summarizing your current financial situation and goals (don't be too specific, just give the highlights), then ask your friend whether you can call him or her for support from time to time.
Just be sure that this is a friend who will help you stick to the plan, not one who will tempt you to abandon your budget and get further away from your financial goals. Choose someone whose spending and saving habits you admire.
You may also want to create a financial support group made up of friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, and so on. Members commit to creating a budget and share their financial goals with the group, which meets periodically.
During meetings, group members share their frustrations and disappointments, but also their successes. If you can find even a small group of like-minded budgeters, you can create a financial support group.
If you have a friend who has plenty of money to spend, don't be jealous! Instead, accept that you're in two different places in your lives. You may even be able to spend vicariously through your friend, going along on shopping trips. Just be sure to leave your credit and debit cards behind!
