What is the definitive guide to Hilary Erickson's budgeting system?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse.

The “definitive guide” to how I budget is really a handful of core habits rather than one formal system:

• Pick a tool you’ll actually use: I’ve used Quicken and now use MoneyWise; my guest Nicole uses You Need A Budget (YNAB). An Excel sheet or paper works too—consistency matters more than the app.
• Categorize often: I sit down regularly (for me, Saturday mornings) to enter and categorize transactions so it never becomes a giant, overwhelming task.
• Have regular money check‑ins with your partner: We look at the big picture together about once a month (or a couple of times a year for things like investments and college savings), even though I do most of the day‑to‑day tracking.
• Use percentages, not rigid dollar amounts: Especially with variable business income, I like assigning percentages (for example, X% to savings, Y% to college, Z% to fun) so the plan flexes whether a month is big or small.
• Make sure your spending matches your values: My husband and I ask, “What do we really want?” That’s how we decided a full kitchen remodel wasn’t worth the disruption or cost, but a new roof and counters were. Saying no to one thing is saying yes to something else you care about more.
• Measure progress and celebrate: I watch our net worth or savings total go up over time. That little celebration keeps me motivated way more than obsessing over every latte.

If you’d like, I can help you turn this into a step‑by‑step checklist tailored to your own income and goals.

What does your current budgeting setup look like (if you have one at all)?