When I started using a budget I thought it was going to be a huge sacrifice.

Turns out it was like getting a 30% raise.  I have heard the same thing over and over again from my personal finance clients too.

I decided to look at why this is true.  What I found is that when we spend unconsciously we spend a lot of money and have no idea where it went.

When we have a written budget we are spending consciously and not wasting money on unconscious spending.

Thus it feels like getting a huge raise.

It’s been reported that that nearly 98% of companies surveyed in a recent compensation survey said they plan to give raises in 2011.

That’s the good news.  The bad news is that the average raise will amount to about $38 per paycheck if you make $50,000 per year.

The choice is yours; a 2.8% raise or a 30% raise.