When you’re adjusting to keeping a budget, it can be tempting to give up. If you’re having trouble staying with your budget, here are a few things that could help…

Keep it real

Maybe you didn’t allot enough money in certain areas of your budget. If this is the case, try and find a happy medium that is more realistic so you can still cut back a little bit.

Automate when you can

Having trouble saving? We’ve all been there. If you have direct deposit at work, figure out how much you want to put aside every month, and have that amount automatically put into your savings account. This way, you can set it and forget it.

Be flexible

When you’re originally planning a budget, you may think you know exactly how much you plan on spending. While that sounds great in theory, you’ll probably have to reassess things a few times. Make sure your budget includes some flexible money that you can use in different areas when needed.

Be patient

Don’t spend it all in one place. If you drain your budget in the first week, the rest of the month is going to be a lot less fun. Do your best to make your money last each month, and it’ll be a lot more pleasant.

This article originally appeared on CUInsight.com.