Now that you’ve created a budget it’s important to review it on a consistent basis, otherwise it’s useless.  Compare your actual revenue and expenses to your budget at least once a month.  If net profit does not match up with what you forecasted, ask yourself some important questions.  Why am I exceeding my budget for this expense and what can I do to bring this expense back in line with my expectations?   Why am I not hitting my revenue goals? Then focus on the adjustments you can make to help you reach your overall net profit goal.  By listing all of your revenue and expenses you can more easily identify the areas negatively affecting your bottom line, so you can spend your time focusing on how to improve them.