STEPS TO A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET
How much do you spend on going out to eat for lunch? How about going out to dinner? Now compare that to your grocery bill and think about any food that gets thrown away because you didn't eat it before it spoiled. How many items in your freezer are uneatable due to the freezer burn? Another common mistake. Go out to eat less often. Buy foods that you actually want to eat. Maybe you just hate cooking. Get foods that are ready made. Shop smart for your lifestyle.
There are so many ways that we can cut our expenditures down. There are so many ways that we all waste our money, not really realizing that we're doing it. Once you pin point those areas in your life, you are ready to plan a budget.
Things to Include in Your Budget
Planning is a budget is pretty simple once you have a better idea of how you spend your money. The place to start is with your credits. Add up all of the money that you take home each month (net income). That is your monthly credit.
The first item in your budget to list as a payment is you. Don't argue with me! I know that this is difficult to rationalize when you feel overwhelmed with the cost of life, raising kids and feeding your family. However, I didn't say budget half of your income. Just budget something. Even if, at this point, it's only ten dollars a month that you can budget. It's still for you and crucial to your budget and your future.
Next, list all of your normal bills. By this I mean things like utility bills, housing payment, car payment, car insurance, water, cable, daycare, credit card payments (although you really want to pay these off completely and keep the cards for emergency only,) newspaper subscription, lunch ticket for the kids and anything else that has a set monthly payment. (Even though your utilities will most likely change, you can estimate those pretty well.)
The most difficult item to plan into your budget is food. Think long and hard about this. Look at your past expenditures to use a reasonable number. In planning your budget it is important that you acknowledge your spending habits and understand that those don't change overnight for most people. Instead recognize that you work hard and get tired and that you want to order pizza at least once a
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