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Money is very, very important.  But it is the 3rd most important thing in budgeting.

Suggestion: Divide the budgeting task into four elements in priority, as follows:

1. People
2. Time
3. Money
4. Non-money

1) Obviously, every human being is different. But we do find it convenient to categorize (pigeon-hole?) people by titles, by tasks, by education, by certifications/licenses, by age thresholds, by gender, etc., etc. We replace one bookkeeper with another bookkeeper. One Ph.D. retires and we recruit another Ph.D. One quarterback gets injured and we put in another quarterback. There is nothing intrinsically wrong in this, but no two bookkeepers, Ph.D.'s or quarterbacks are the same. And money,… which is very, very important,… is not the determinant of success of persons in categories.

2) Time is the simple category. We can calendar tasks, events, and processes using tried and true and readily available projection tools. The critical factor of time budgeting is its element of steady and relentless disappearance. For instance, finally assembling the dream football team the day after two other teams competed in the Super Bowl is a totally futile accomplishment for the current year. You can get another quarterback but you can't get back yesterday. Things such as missed deadlines, faulty forecasting techniques, and unforeseen circumstances will, of course, complicate time budgeting.

3) Money ---Yes…very, very important.

4) Non-money budgeting comprises all those elements of furniture, equipment, owned/leased workspaces, inventories and tools of various types, etc. This category is also very, very important. In the main, these elements are not fungible commodities. Talented people in authority have taken time and money to acquire these elements and these non-money assets must function constructively and precisely to accomplish the organizational mission.

Now…you may sign on to the "four-element" budget priorities easily enough. The trick is to fold, meld, mix shake and even separate (think offense and defense in athletics) these connected elements into a unique budget construct that is your best consolidation of people/time/money/non-money. However, if your budget document is dominated by dollar-dominated line items then you have a cheap budget and you are under-utilizing (mis-managing) your assets.

Unfortunately, good budgeting ain't easy!

This budgeting process takes considerable knowledge and experience. It takes professional management. It takes an acute awareness of the organization's wide and complicated waterfront. It requires team involvement…but appropriate involvement. It may also require outside counsel.

It will most certainly require money. But, remember, money is the 3rd most important thing.