A budget is not a price. And most people asking for one have no idea what they just asked for. Here is what happens. You walk up to a builder and say, can you give me a budget? So he gives you one. A number based on square footage, a guess at your finishes, and whatever he assumes you want. That is all a budget is. An educated guess on incomplete information. Then you treat that guess like a price. You plan your life around it. And when the real number shows up later, you feel lied to. It gets w