I learned early in life that spending less than you earn, paying yourself first, and investing for the long term can pay huge dividends over time. But I never really followed a budget, and only recently decided I needed to implement one.
During this process, I discovered that there are a few simple things you can do once a year or so, and a few simple things you can do every day that will help you control spending without the complexity of a traditional budget. The key comes from periodically identifying areas where you can eliminate or trim expenses, and implementing a plan to help you control spending in the comparatively few areas where your day-to-day choices make a difference.