Image credit
The last few months I have made a conscious effort to put together a new budget to enable me to maximise my savings to put towards a holiday next year.
Working on a household budget can seem like a daunting and intimidating task, especially if you’re not used to managing your finances. However, it is an essential part of becoming financially secure and living within your means.
To make it more manageable, start by tracking your spending for a month. This will help you identify where your money is going and where you may need to make cuts. When setting up your budget, make sure to include all of your fixed costs such as rent/mortgage payments, loan payments, and other bills.
It is also important to create a list of your variable expenses, such as groceries, restaurants, entertainment, and transportation. You can then decide how much you can realistically spend in each category. Make sure to factor in additional expenses such as savings, emergencies, and holidays. It is also important to make sure that you have enough left over for recreational and leisure activities, as these are essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
It can be a bit daunting knowing how much you need certain things so you can always go through old bank statements and bills and work out your average outgoings for certain things each month.
If you have a set goal of what you want to save for you can also take into consideration any interest you may gain by having the money in savings, you can use a savings calculator to help you work out what interest you will earn if you can keep your money in a savings account for a reasonable amount of time.
For me, I find it important to know what you are saving for and how much you need do it makes it a bit easier to work out your budget.
It can be difficult to stick to a budget if you aren’t used to having one so slipping up in the first couple of months can be normal and you shouldn’t let it get you down, just try to get back on track as soon as you can. Once you are settled with a budget it can be easy to stick to and if you can stick to it for a whole year you can then obtain the savings needed to do something to the house, for a holiday or for a big purchase. It’s always good to know what you are saving for and have something to aim for.
Finally, review your budget on a regular basis and adjust it as needed. With a little bit of planning and discipline, you can make a household budget that works for you.
Do you have a budget?
Sarah x
