Whether you have your eyes on a pair of Italian leather boots, a trip to Jamaica, or a glass of sparkling wine, it's quite hard to stay on budget with thoughts of purchases swirling through your head.

Here are a few tips for sticking to your budget and realizing your true financial goals:

Write Down What Budgeting Will Get You 
A simple way to do this is to take out a slip of paper or compose a text message that completes this statement: "When I live my life from the position of financial strength I will..."

When you write down what comes to mind after this statement, you can see that budgeting will get you to where you want to be in life, says Manisha Thakor the co-author of the personal finance book On My Own Two Feet .The answers may range anywhere from spending more time with you children to having the freedom to change careers. It's these dreams that help you to budget.

Think In Terms of Hourly Wage
If you earn an annual salary then convert your salary into an hourly wage to get a better understanding of how much work you do for particular expenses. Here's how to do it:

1. Calculate how much money you make in after-tax dollars. 
2. Translate that number into an hourly wage. For example, if you work 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year, divide your after-tax income by 2,000.  If you make $40,000 a year, then you're earning about $15 an hour.
3. Sure, this hourly wage calculation isn’t exact. But remember that hourly wage number when you’re spending money. If you're congregating after work with coworkers you barely like, you might ask yourself if you want to spend $15 or one hour of your hard work, on cocktails, says Ms. Thakor.

The good thing is there are no right or wrong answers. This tool helps you measure your desire for something or "how bad you want it." It's up to you to decide if those $450 boots are worth 30 hours, or nearly 4 days, of your salary.

Make Money Difficult to Access
Consider putting your savings in an account that you can’t access with the swipe of a card. That way you wont be able to use your savings for impulse purchases.

Use Bank Alerts
Utilize your bank's online services for account alerts. Chase, for instance, can send voice or text alerts if your account is overdrawn, or if your balance is above or below a given amount. Wells Fargo's Spending Report with Budget Watch helps you build a budget and then notifies you when you go over your spending targets. Bank alerts can keep you up-to-date on your money wherever you are.

Consider the Envelope Method
Create an assortment of envelopes for your wants, such as clothes and movies, and fill each envelope with the cash amount that you budgeted. After the money is spent, you must wait until the next month to make a purchase in that category.  The envelope methods allows you to only spend money on what you allot for in your budget. At the same time, it makes room for enjoying your wants.

Want to Know More?

• Why Budget?
• How to Make A Budget that Works