How do I make a household budget?
99145
You're a step ahead of most people.  By now, you have a good grasp of what you're spending money on.  Take a good hard look at how you're spending your money.  Some expenses are "fixed" - meaning they don't vary each month.  Some expenses are essential (food, gas, housing, etc), while others are not (morning latte, manicure, movie tickets, etc).  Take a look at where you can cut back on those "wants" rather than "needs" and you'll find that saving money is not that difficult.\n\nNow set some goals for how much you'd like to save.  Start each month by paying yourself, so to speak, and put money in your savings account in order to build a nest-egg.  Some people find that having money automatically withdrawn from their paycheck is the easiest way to "force" them to save.  \n\nYou may want to check out this cool calculator that can help you manage your budget:  http://www.fuzeqna.com/smcu/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=1929\n\nYou might want to use a software program such as Quicken to help manage your finances and goals.  But the system isn't as important as the action.  You're on your way!
375731
One way I learned to make a budget was to save every receipt from everything I bought for one month, right down to fast food and gas. You may be suprised at what you spend money on. A little here and a little there adds up fast. Do that for a month and you can better write a budget for yourself.
57380
Here is a start, try the calculator here  http://www.fool.com/calcs/calculators.htm#budget\nafter you have an idea  of what you need in your sheet, set up a worksheet in excel, and you will be able to do a lot more than a blank piece of paper.
228528
You need to budget your money and get a mind-set to allow yourself only so much per account. \nExample: $250 net income/week\n         $100 car\n         $100 food, gas, laundry, etc \n          $50 spending money\nBudget will be tight, but very satisfying when you make your goal. Also, try not to loan out money you may not get back, or will be slow being repaid. Another thing that can make money disappear quickly is taking others out to eat as "your treat"\n\nGood luck!!
64775
First you need to write everything you pay for in a month in a notebook. This will tell you where some of your spending problems are. After this create a  budget. Leave your self spending money so you don't feel like your depriving yourself. Many people will not leave anything for themselves , feel bad, and blow their budget. If you have credit cards put them in a metal coffee can and freeze them. This will take some of the impulse out of your spending because while you are taking the time to thaw them out you are really thinking whether or not the item is worth it. Thats why you put it in a metal can so you can't use the microwave. Lastly remember to pay yourself first. Always make sure to put something away in savings. If you can do this with direct deposit, I would recommend this highly so that after a couple of weeks you won't even remember that you had it. Good Luck:)
565018
Make a list separately of what you both want, enjoy, need - pay no attention to order or anything Else. Then get together and compare, here you can eliminate or even add to a single list you agree on. Then place them in order of importance, please no arguing - if it is important to you (or him) then it is - no matter what you (or he) thinks. Now we have a list, next place a time next to them. House - 3 years, vacation - 1 year etc. Then put dollar amounts next to them - house deposit needed $10,000 divide that by 36 (3yearsx12) you now have a monthly value. Once you have done this you will see that you have monthly values for the things you are trying to do. Then add up everything and get a monthly total. You'll either have enough to do it all or not enough to do it all. Then sit down again and work out what you can eliminate or reduce - going to the bar (or whatever) once every two months is cheaper than going every week(or night!). House deposit in 4 years instead of three etc - Once you can see what you can achieve, and you are both on board, then it is easy to do. This may take a few talks, so get coffee and cookies and sit in a nice and comfortable room. \nThe idea is to give your spouse something they want, and help them understand in order to get it, they need to save/cut back/stick to budget - whatever term works best - to get it. Where 'it' is something they (and you as a couple) agree is worth saving for.\nGood Luck!
1098836
work and dont spend.\nlive with a lot of freinds and split the bills.\nlive in a box. stay a way from things like phones and tv and the intenet. ac and heat. and ride your bike. go to the libary for fun.\nbe cheap. or get another job like mow grass deliver papers. if you know pepole who dont like to clean charge them.
462188
Look in templetes and choose the budget one :-)\nYou can also download templetes from microsoft for free\nhttp://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT011377161033.aspx\nhttp://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT011377041033.aspx
270872
The financial planning spreadsheet that I use for my budget indicates that 24-42% of expenses is the target range for housing, which includes rent or mortgage & real estate taxes, plus utilities.  Expenses should be less than take home pay, otherwise you'll be working until you die in debt.  I suggest you take a look at the Motley Fool (fool.com) or some other on-line personal finance site.  It sounds like you are ready to start a budget and will need a lot of answers.\n\nBest of Luck.  E-mail me if you get stuck.
273776
First list all your expenses over a given time period like per month.\n\nNext list your income.\n\nAdd both up--if your expenses are greater than your income you need to do one of two things.  A: reduce your expenses or B: increase your income.\n\nOnce you have your needs covered, you give yourself something to spend that's extra but not too much.  Set up a regular savings plan with your bank.  Even if it's only a few dollars per month going into a savings account, it will add up.  Try not too look at it and let it grow so you will have it in case of a major emergency like losing your job or something like that.  Seeing a huge sale on collector dolls on the shopping channel is not a major emergency.\n\nOnce you learn to live within your means, everything else is downhill from there.  You might buy a book on personal finance.  They have lots of them at the local bookstore.  Or you can just go to your local library and read them for free!
719729
Do you own a  home or rent, own a car or public transport, pay utilities, or are utilities paid with rent, do you eat alot, or a little, do you consume only name brand, or are generics just as good? These are the types of question you need to ask yourself and your wife. and keep rolling from there. How much money do you spend each month? each week, each day. How many bills do you pay for. How much in student loans do you owe, do you have a payment plan, add that payment, plus the car insurance plus the gas used plus the rent/mortgage, pluse insurance there, plus utilities, plus food, plus activities, plus clothes, plus contingency(accidents and emergencies) plus smoking?, plus you can get it from here  (dont forget about the child's expenses) Add all that up, and see how much a month you pay out, figure out how much you need to add to savings, be it 200 a month, 500 and remember to be reasonable. Basically find out what you pay out, what you need to reserve and then match that or beat it with a higher pay. Look at what your skill level is and what the demand for that skill is in your area, that will also help to determine whether or not you will get what you want, or if you need to move  =-)
1115560
It all depends on the amount of bills you have and what you make.\nI have to spend more like 75% towards bills, then 10% for groceries, 10% for necessities & fun, and 5% to savings.  Would like to put more into savings and the "fun", but house & gas bills have to get paid first :-(
1016223
I was in the same boat as you once. What I did was I sat down and wrote out a budget. I listed everything I spent money on for the last 2 months and looked at my income. I quickly figured out a lot of things on my expenses were stupid and a waste of money. I cooked at home more instead of going out, I stopped buying coffee at starbucks everyday, I learned to buy soda when it was on sale. Before you knew it, I freed up about $300 extra a month. So really look at your expenses and think about what you need and what you want. Big difference in that.
468366
I've heard several tips for this from Clark Howard, I'll share some with you:\n\n1. No matter what, you pay yourself first.  Put SOMETHING away before you pay your bills, EVERYTIME you get paid.\n2. Never use change when you spend.  If something costs 11.49, pay the 12.00 and throw the change into some type of "bank" at home.  If something is 1.19, don't look in your purse for the change, spend the $2.00 and throw the .81 in the "bank."  People who did this were on his show telling how, at the end of the year they managed to save $2500, and went on vacation with the money!\n\n3. Something I used to do when I needed a little cash quickly, was pay two bills with the same money.  How?  you might ask.  Well easy, if you have a credit card.  What I used to do is, add up all my utilities, my cable bill, phone bill, electricity bill, and even my car insurance and sometimes car note... and pay my credit card with that amount.  It's great if you can pay your credit card OFF like this each month - then I would take the credit card and actually PAY the bills with it.  This way, your credit card is getting paid (maybe in full - resulting in even greater savings since you won't have to pay finance charges) AND all your utilities and bills are getting paid... with the same money. =)\n\n4. Find out your "latte factor" basically Clark says that we all have a "latte factor," something frivolous that we spend our money on everyday - like starbucks coffee, or whatever... he says when you find it, eliminate that expense and take the money you spend on it everyday and save it.  He computed that $5 a day every day for 5 years, could yield a savings of $12,000!\n\nHope that helps!!!
128855
A written budget.  Do a written budget each month, for that month, showing every penny coming in for the month and assign each and every dollar to something.  Then stick to the budget.\n\nFor more on getting out of debt and growing wealth, check out http://www.daveramsey.com - not affiliated, just use the system.\n\nGood luck.
44940
create a new budget that is smaller.  This may mean having only one car, or less extras like eating out and fast food.  There are many areas that you can cut the corners.  I have been staying at home for 9 years now and it is only the last 4 years that I have been working at home with my own business.  I do it for fun not because our budget demands it.  \n\nGood luck with it.  If you can't do it in the situation you are in.. either you have to change the budget or your husband needs to get a better paying job.  If both of those are maxed to as good as you both can do - then you may have to work.
665444
to do a budget you need to look at all of your outgoing expenses.... \n\nRent-----\n\nElectric ---\n\nGas ----\n\nPhone -----\n\nGroceries ----\n\nChild Care ----\n\nInternet Service  ---\n\nCar Payment -----\n\nCar Insurance----\n\nCredit Cards -----\n\nMedical Insurance ---\n\nExpected Monthly Medical Expenses ----\n\nSavings ----\n\n~~if you need more help than this click on my avatar, and either IM me or e-mail me with a place where i could send an attachment, i have a sample budget form i could send you.~~