Image via Wikipedia Mention the word "budget" in a crowd and someone will run. Surprisingly, others will stay and talk about how they have benefited from putting their finances on a budget. Like many other elements of personal finances, budgeting is a tool to help improve the quality of our lives. According to budgeting guru Dave Ramsey, a budget is simply a plan in which spending is put on paper - intentionally - before it is actually spent. CNN's budget experts refer to budgets as "a necessary evil." Both descriptions are true. However, there are ways to make a budget less … [Read more...]