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If you want to take control of your finances, the personal budget is the place to begin. So much of the magic in personal finance will happen in your budget. However, if you fail to budget properly, you will struggle to reach your financial goals and achieve financial peace.

Thankfully, budgeting is about consistency and discipline instead of complex math, so anyone can do it if they have the willpower.

Here are five tips to get started:

1. Track your spending for a while.

Write down every single amount of money you spend and where you spend it, even if it's at a vending machine. At the end of the month, look back and see what you've learned about yourself. You might be surprised to learn that your coffee habit is costing you $50 a month or that your subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. add up to such a large amount. Knowing yourself and being honest about what needs to change is the first step to a successful budget.

2. Keep budgeting simple and use a zero-based budget.

You don't need an app or advanced statistical tools: simply use a piece of paper or an Excel spreadsheet to plan one month at a time. Record your take-home pay and then list out all expected expenses for the next month. Then "spend" every single dollar of your income on paper, all the way down to zero. Allocate a portion of your income to each of your expected expenses. This is your monthly game plan, and you should commit to live by your plan.

3. Chase consistency, not perfection.

When you first start budgeting, you'll inevitably get it "wrong." You won't have enough money budgeted in the "grocery" category, or you'll have an unexpected expense, so you might have to adjust somewhere else in your budget to cover it. That's OK! The goal is to make incremental adjustments so that you get in tune with how much money you have to spend, and then live below your means. When you consistently live below your means and can save, budgeting becomes a supercharged tool for achieving so many other financial goals.

4. Use your budget to achieve short-term and long-term financial goals.

For example, if you have a short-term goal of going on a mission trip, use a sinking fund to save some money each month toward the overall cost of the trip. Other short-term goals include building your emergency fund (three-to-six months of living expenses), paying off debt or saving for the down payment on a home. Work to find extra money within your budget so that you can tackle these goals. You might be willing to go to restaurants less or pick up a side hustle to make your dreams a reality. Also ensure that you're remembering the important long-term goal of saving for retirement. Save at least 10-15 percent of your income in a tax-advantaged investment account towards retirement. Inevitably, when you begin to carefully watch your money, it multiplies.

5. Don't forget that your budget reflects your priorities.

I often ask my students, "If someone saw where you spent your money last month, would it reflect your faith?" As Christians, giving should be our first priority and a significant line item in our budgets. Also, make sure to involve the whole family in the process. Money is a major cause of divorce, but involving your spouse in the budget process can strengthen your marriage. You should budget using the income of both spouses and each spouse should work with the other to create the monthly plan. Even your children can play a part in the budget. If they work part-time or if you give them an allowance, teach them to give a portion, save a portion towards future goal and spend a portion wisely.