Saturday, February 16, 2008

Do's and Don'ts of Budgeting - Monique Rich

Budgeting is one of the most important things that you can do in your life. A well put together budget will help you maintain a comfortable life style. You can meet financial goals, monitor monthly cash flow and measure financial progress by utilizing a budget. In order to prepare a budget for your financial success, ask yourself the following questions.
  1. What are your financial goals?
  2. What do you need to do to make these goals a reality?
  3. What will I accomplish by following my budget?
  4. How do I maintain discipline by sticking to my budget?
After you have successfully answered these questions you can start putting your plan to work. Remember there are several other things to remember about budgeting.
  1. Do learn how to budget. Note how much money you earn every month. On a piece of paper, write down how much you need for rent, utilities, food, transportation, entertainment, personal care and miscellaneous items. Don’t write down things that are not a definite need. Just because you want something doesn’t mean that you can’t live without it. Once you have adjusted your lifestyle accordingly, then you can treat yourself from time-to-time.
  2. Do live within your means. An excellent way to track spending habits is by utilizing a debit/ATM card. This method allows you to keep a track record of money spent, making sure you stay within budget. Don’t spend extra money that is left over every month after sticking to your budget. Instead, apply that money to a savings account or towards paying down other bills.
  3. Do rearrange your spending habits. A major reason people end up with bad/poor credit is due to overspending. Don’t overspend your budget! Once you start tracking your spending habits, you will be able to find out where unnecessary money is going every month so that you can apply that money to another area of your budget.
Simply put, commit yourself to spending a particular amount on each item on your budget every month. In doing so, can help ensure that you can meet all your financial responsibilities, thus empowering yourself to financial freedom and improved credit.

Visit www.keepcashnow.com to download a budget sheet to keep track of your finances, look under the resource section.

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