There’s no way you’re going to be able to stick to a budget unfailingly. The real world has too many twists and turns and, besides, we humans don’t live our lives as predictably as spreadsheets.

And even if you were able to somehow muster the willpower never to deviate from your budget, really, what kind of life would that be? A pretty grim one I suspect.

So I think minimizing splurges and getting the biggest bang for your buck with the ones you do take is the right way to go here, rather than trying to avoid indulgences altogether.

How can you do that? I’ve got a few suggestions you can consider. Click here to continue reading ths Money Magazine article.