Budgeting

Do you need help creating a monthly budget that works? Just follow the seven tips below and you will be well on your way to creating a working monthly budget.

Tip #1 - Know Where You Are - It is important to know where you are financially before you create a month budget. This process includes documenting all your income sources, what you think you spend on expenses each month, and listing all your creditors and the debt that is owed to them. By doing these three things you will get a better understanding of where your finances stand.

Tip #2 - Track you spending - Tracking your spending for 30 days before creating a budget will give you the concrete numbers of how much you spend in each expense category every month. Many people are surprised to see how all the little purchases at up at the end of the month. By knowing how much you typically spend in each expense category you can now plan those expenses for the next month in your budget.

Tip #3 - Plan for periodic expenses - When creating a monthly budget that actually works you will need to plan ahead for periodic expenses such as car insurance (if not paid monthly), yearly car registration, gift giving, school shopping, and insurance deductibles just to name a few. If you estimate these expenses for the year and then divide by 12 you will get an amount that you can save each month for these expenses.

Tip #4 - Allow for Savings - It is always a great idea to plan to save a certain amount of money each month. This can be the beginning of an emergency fund so when unexpected expenses come your way you don't have to reach for your credit card. This is an important step to getting and keeping yourself out of debt.

Tip #5 - Write Needs/Wants on a Special Worksheet - As members of your family express certain needs and wants, it is helpful to record them on a needs and wants worksheet. This will help to spend money wisely as it becomes available instead of make impulse buys and forgetting what you really wanted or needed.

Tip #6 - Use the Right Worksheets - When creating a budget it is helpful to use the worksheets that will have all the information you need to make a working budget. These worksheets should include a way to track spending, your repayment of debt, a monthly financial report and a monthly budget worksheet. These worksheets will make it easy for you to see all the information you need to create a working budget and show you expense categories you can adjust to make a balanced budget.

Tip #7 - Allow Yourself Some Mad Money - The best tip you can have when creating a monthly budget is to allow some mad money for yourself and spouse in the budget. This is the number one reason most budgets fail and people do not continue using a monthly budget. The resentment of not being able to spend any money makes people frustrated and then they stop tracking their spending all together. If you allow yourself and your spouse even a small amount of money to be spent on anything you wish without having to confer with the other person, your budget will have a much better chance of being successful. If money is tight just allowing a very small amount will help keep the resentment at bay.