How to Create a Family Budget

Managing your money can become more difficult when you have a family. Your outgoings are likely to be higher, and you might struggle to build a healthy savings account. A household budget will help you manage your money more effectively and make wiser spending decisions. Starting a household budget is fairly straightforward. It is a useful tool that will help you plan for your family’s financial future. With that in mind, here is a guide on how to create a family budget.

Record Income and Expenses

To create a household budget, you will need to have an accurate record of your income and expenses. Sit down with your partner and make a list of all your monthly expenses. This should include essential recurring costs like housing, utilities, food, and student loans.

You also need to make a list of expenses like clothing, entertainment, and other non-essential items and activities. Add these costs to calculate your household’s total monthly outgoings. Then, deduct this sum from your income to calculate your disposable income.

Ideally, this amount should be transferred into a savings account each month. Finance professionals recommend using the 50/30/20 rule when it comes to budgeting. This means that you spend 50% of your income on essentials like rent and 30% on non-essentials like entertainment and social activities. The remaining 20% of your income should be deposited into your savings or used to repay debts.

Trim Your Spending

Trimming your spending is the simplest way to increase your savings. Some expenses are set and cannot be reduced, e.g., mortgage repayments. That said, many of your monthly expenses can be lowered or eliminated. You could save money each month by canceling your gym membership and doing home workout DVDs instead. Shopping in budget-friendly supermarkets and cooking at home instead of eating out is another easy way to lower your food costs.

You can also use coupons and discount codes to trim your spending. For instance, Kohls Coupons can get your money off a broad range of items such as clothing and household appliances, likely all essentials in your family.

Always check whether there are any valid discount codes before you make a purchase online or in-store. This simple habit could save you hundreds of dollars each year.

Create Financial Goals

Creating short-term and long-term goals is a crucial part of good financial planning. Having financial goals for your family will motivate you to track your expenses and spend wisely. You should sit down as a family to discuss your financial goals. An example of a short-term goal might be to save $4,000 for a luxury family vacation at the end of the year.

A long-term financial goal could involve saving for your child’s college education. Make sure that your financial goals are achievable and clearly defined. It is important to determine what action you must take to achieve each goal. Using the example above, you would need to deposit just over $330 into a saving account each month to save $4,000 in a year.

Thanks to Sneks