Budgeting

I have a budget on my computer.

I write down EVERY bill and the approx. monthly amount due. When there is something extra (birthdays, holiday, dr. appt.'s, etc.), I add that for that month.

I then add up all that I owe.

At the bottom of my budget, I add in ALL sources of income (I am self employed). This would include what you make at your job, any rental income or unemployment benefits, any $$$ you make from ebaying or selling online, child support and/or alimony, etc. Add up the total.

Then I subtract how much I owe from how much I make. Is there a defecit? If so, you need to go back and see where you can cut costs (grocery bill is a big one where I can skimp on if necessary, cable, going out to eat or entertainment, etc.).

If I actually am ahead of the game in my bills -- then try to put that money away.

Hope this helps.

Debbie -

i have tried to use a budget but it never seems to work. AOL has a budgeting calander that you may find helpful

I try to do it every month. I suck at it.

We do a budget but it is a yearly one, rather than a monthly one. We calculate what it will cost for essentials like insurance, car registration, electricity, phone etc and then divide that by 26. We get paid fortnightly hence the 26. Every fortnight we pay something off these essential accounts so the bill is either entirely paid or partly paid when the due date comes.

We also allocated so much money for fuel and food. If we have to spend more than what we have allocated that means it will come out of our 'savings', so we try to stick with the amount we think we need. Our savings are for many things but so much of it is for travelling, hence the reason why we don't like overspending on other things. Somehow we cope, because we usually do manage to get away a few times a year for our holidays.

yes i prefer monthly basis