It’s hard to keep expenses in line if you aren’t tracking them. In fact, I say in every one of my coupon classes, “You can’t tell where you are going, if you don’t know where you have been.” That is why I feel so compelled to instruct everyone of my class attendees to have a Family Budget Planner.
A Family Budget Planner helps you keep track of your budget vs expenses, so you can see what might need (or can be) cut and what might need a higher allocation of funds. In fact, using a Family Budget Planner is one of the easiest ways to determine your Family Budget For A Month.
A couple of tips.
1. Be truthful. It doesn’t do any good to say you only spend $500 on groceries when you actually spend $800.
2. Track your purchases. It all adds up. It may seem like a $3.00 coffee or $1.50 soda is no big deal. But it can add up if you do it every other day.
3. Use cash. If you are lazy about tracking purchases, then think about going to a cash system for incidental expenses. You just enter a flat amount in the Family Budget Planner and when the money is gone, it’s gone.
Understand that your budget is a work in progress and a living thing. Expenses come up. A shopping spree happens. But don’t get discouraged and STOP using the planner because you have a minor set back. Vow to do a better job next month with your family budget planner.
