Getty Images Be honest now, on payday do you a) complete the purchases on the many online shopping baskets you’ve been adding to all month or b) move a chunk of your salary across to a savings account and update your colour-coded spreadsheet straight away? Of course, it’s your money, and whatever works for you is absolutely fine, but if you’re sitting in camp ‘a’ but wishing you could be a little more ‘b’, there are steps you can take to get there and run a successful monthly budget. Before you get to the budgeting, though, and if you’re new to managing your money in a more considered way, you need to pause and take stock.