42 Budget Quotes To Improve Your Budget

Want to know why quotes about budgeting help? Quotes are short and sweet bits of wisdom or humor (Check out our funny money quotes!) based on something someone has said, which in turn inspires us to keep moving forward when the going gets tough.

Budgeting quotes are usually quite brief, so they can help us focus and give us just the push we need to continue on with our day even if the tasks we’re doing don’t feel like they matter much in the moment.

Below are 42 budget quotes broken out by category to inspire you, motivate you, help you stay on track, and give you ideas to take your budget mindset to the next level.

8 Quotes on budgeting for overall inspiration

We all know the purpose of a budget but sometimes, just a little bit of inspiration can be just what we need to stay focused. 

Use these inspirational budget quotes to reignite your passion for budgeting and find the inspiration you need to keep going!

1. “If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.” – Edmund Burke

2. “Budgeting is not just for people who do not have enough money. It is for everyone who wants to ensure that their money is enough.” – Rosette Mugidde Wamambe

3. “Every cent you own and every moment you spend is always an investment.” – Natalie Pace

4. “If broke people are making fun of your financial plan, you are on the right track.” – Unknown

5. “Life is a dance between making it happen and letting it happen.” – Arianna Huffington

6. “One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up, instead of what they have to gain.” – Rick Godwin

7. “A budget doesn’t limit your freedom; it gives you freedom.” – Rachel Cruze

8. “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Picasso

What I love about these inspirational quotes is that they remind us why we budget, which is helpful when we’re mired deep in the how of budgeting. 

When you forget to “find your why” budgeting can sometimes feel like you’re just slogging through the numbers, making a ton of sacrifice and making yourself feel guilty about what you’ve spent our money on.

But in reality, the whole point of budgeting is to find financial freedom. As Rachel Cruze said, a budget gives you freedom. So, these quotes can help you keep that freedom top of mind.

I encourage you to pick one or two of these quotes that resonate with you and write them on a post-it note. (Or if you’re feeling fancy, type them up in a pleasing font and print them out.) 

Post them somewhere you’ll see them often. They’ll inspire you to whip out your budgeting app or spreadsheet even when you don’t feel like it. Additionally, it’s worth thinking about what your favorite quotes about budgeting are and using them in your everyday life.

8 Motivating quotes even when budgeting is hard

Sometimes budgeting can be downright hard. It could be that your budget isn’t going accordingly to plan or you are just too tired or stressed to track it. 

However, there are some handy, motivational quotes about budgeting you can use. These quotes will give you the motivation you need to keep budgeting!

1. “Becoming rich is hard. Staying broke is hard. Choose your hard.” – Eric Worre

2. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

3. “The slightest adjustments to your daily routines can dramatically alter the outcomes in your life.” – Darren Hardy

4. “It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.” – Warren Buffett

5. “Money, like motions, is something you must control to keep your life on the right track.” – Natasha Munson

6. “A budget isn’t about restricting what you can spend. It gives you permission to spend without guilt or regret.” – Unknown

7. “If you don’t get serious about your money, you will never have serious money.” – Grant Cardone

8. “People do not decide their futures. They decide their habits, and their habits decide their futures.” – FM Alexander

Small actions add up to big progress over time

One reason that I find budgeting so draining is that it takes small, consistent, and often monotonous actions to see tangible, exciting results. And as a result, those actions can feel meaningless when we lose sight of why we’re doing them.

For instance, on a day-to-day basis, it can be easy to think to yourself, “I won’t ruin my budget if I don’t budget today.” However, say that too many times and soon you won’t have a budget at all.

Use these quotes to motivate yourself to keep doing the small actions every day (or at least once a week!). Actions like importing your transactions, categorizing your expenses, and reviewing your monthly budget progress do matter.

There are ways to make budgeting easier. Find budget templates or tools that work for you and make budgeting less painful.

12 Budget quotes to help you save more money

Saving money can be painful and demotivating, especially when you’re first starting out. Additionally, even a small leak can have big consequences.

However, with the best quotes about budgeting by your side, you can upgrade your saving habits and find motivation for saving money. So here are some quotes to help you stay focused as you work on saving more money:

1. “Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.” – Ayn Rand

2. “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” – Will Rogers

3. “You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” – Unknown

4. “When money realizes that it is in good hands, it wants to stay and multiply in those hands.” – Idowu Koyenikan

5. “Beware of little expenses; a little leak will sink a great ship.” – Benjamin Franklin

6. “Don’t give up what you want most for what you want now.” – Unknown

7. “Unless you control your money, making more won’t help. You’ll just have bigger payments.” – Dave Ramsey

8. “Money isn’t about buying bigger and better things. It’s about being prepared to take care of your family.” – Unknown

9. “Save money, and money will save you!” – John Soforic

10. “Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffett

11. “The rich get rich because they pay themselves first.” – David Bach

12. “We must consult our means rather than our wishes.”― George Washington

Learn how to spend money so you can save more money

I subscribe to the philosophy that if you’re cutting back on expenses to the point of depriving yourself of everything you love, you’re not likely to stick with your budget. 

That said, I didn’t include any budget quotes that shame you for spending money on things you love. Budgeting shouldn’t be about only spending money on the bare necessities, because you need fun money, too.

Instead, opt for creative savings where you can. Don’t spend your money on expenses that don’t truly bring you joy or value. And if you do have to cut back on some things to save money, use these budget quotes about saving to remind yourself why you’re doing so.

5 Budgeting quotes that will inspire you to earn more

Sometimes our budgets reveal that if we want to truly make progress toward our financial goals, we need to start earning more money. 

And when we do start earning more money, our budget helps keep us accountable to actually save that money instead of increasing expenses. 

In addition, there are a bunch of budgeting quotes that can help here. So let’s take a look at are our favorite quotes about this:

1. “Become so financially secure that you forget it’s payday.” – Unknown

2. “The more your money works for you, the less you have to work for money.” – Idowu Koyenikan

3. “The stock market is designed to transfer money from the active to the patient.” – Warren Buffett

4. “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it, he who doesn’t, pays it.” – Albert Einstein

5. “Don’t make money, create wealth. Making money is easy. Being able to create and sustain wealth is what will set you apart from the rest.” – John Rampton

Many of these budget quotes reveal that one of the easiest ways to earn more money is to put your money to work for you and invest.

However, are you afraid you don’t have enough knowledge about investing? Investing for beginners isn’t as difficult as you’d think.

You don’t have to be an expert on investing to get started, and there are plenty of resources to help you learn more. (Order the Clever Girl Finance book Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money today!)

You can also learn how to invest with a small amount of money. Investing just a little bit today can earn you more than investing a lot of money in a few years, thanks to the power of compound interest.

9 Best quotes on budgeting overall

This last section includes some of the best quotes of all time on budgeting. Many of these budget quotes were spoken by people who have seen firsthand how the power of budgeting helps you grow wealth and become financially secure. 

1. “The simplest definition of a budget is ‘telling your money where to go.” – Tsh Oxenreider

2. “Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” – Joe Biden

3. “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” – Dave Ramsey

4. “A budget is more than just a series of numbers on a page; it is an embodiment of our values.” – Barack Obama

5. “The budget is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations.” – Jacob Lew

6. “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” – P.T. Barnum

7. “Got my mind on my money, and my money on my mind.” – Snoop Dogg

8. “Stop being the chess piece, and start being the chess player. It’s time to master the game of money once and for all.” – Tony Robbins

9. “Budgeting isn’t about limiting yourself – it’s about making the things that excite you possible.” – Unknown

Chances are, one or two of these will resonate with you and remind you why you’ve committed to budgeting in the first place.

The speed of your success depends entirely on your own dedication to budgeting. You can change your spending habits and the way that you manage money by identifying your true needs. Also use these quotes to align your purpose for budgeting with your personal core values. 

Expert tip: Create a budgeting vision board

Nobody can do the work for you. When it comes to the understanding of your budget, you are the master of your own destiny.

But sometimes, we all need a little motivation to get things moving. With a little creativity, you can make your own budgeting vision board.

For example, include images that make you feel motivated, a handful of the best budgeting quotes, and anything else that inspires you. 

Saving money is the result of habit. The secret to getting it right is reminding yourself why you are doing it. Whenever you feel like going off track, take a look at your board for support. 

One of my personal favorite positive quotes about budgeting is “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went” by Dave Ramsey. For me, it sums up why we put sustainability and budgeting first. Essentially, we need ot have a plan for our money, otherwise it will slip away.

Chances are, you know the lyric “Got my mind on my money, and my money on my mind” from Snoop Dogg. It may not be the most literary budgeting quote but it will stick in your head!

If you’re looking for a short and sweet catchphrase about budgeting, here’s one of the best. “Save money, and money will save you!” by John Soforic. Why not write it somewhere you will see it every single day?

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Get inspired by these quotes to stay on track with your budget!

Budgeting can set you free financially. Furthermore, done consistently over time, budgeting allows you to practice intentional living with your spending. And cutting the budget without sacrificing the things you love most is rewarding.

So if you’re struggling to stay on track with your budget, pick one, two, or even three of these quotes that stand out to you and post them in a place you’ll see them often. Stay focused, stay motivated, and just keep budgeting.

In addition, if you want to become a budget boss, make sure to enroll in our free Create a Budget That Works course. Also, check out our other 100% free courses, worksheets, and resources to help you build and maintain a solid financial foundation for the rest of your life!