Everyone is talking about saving money, living within their means, and creating a budget these days. Even though creating a budget is relatively simple to do, it does require some time and work on your part. However, this is made easier by using these three budget worksheets listed below.
1. Track Your Expenses and Spending Worksheets – Before you can create a working budget, you must first know how much you spend in a given month. You can use a weekly expenses worksheet along with a monthly expense record worksheet to track your spending and monthly expenses for 30 days. This will give you accurate information of what you actually spend each month, not just what you think you spend in each expense category.
2. Monthly Financial Report Worksheet – After you have tracked you spending you are now ready to fill out a monthly financial report worksheet for that 30 day period. On this worksheet you will record you income for the month along with your spending in each expense category. After you have subtracted your total expenses from your net spendable income, you will see if you have an excess or if you where short for that month.
3. Monthly Budget Worksheet – Once you complete the monthly financial report for the past month, you are ready to create your monthly budget for next month using a monthly budget worksheet. On this worksheet you will record all your monthly bills, including the amounts and the due dates. You will also allow a certain amount of money for all other expense categories based on your previous monthly financial report. If you operated last month in the red, you will want to look at where you can cut your spending this month so you have a balanced budget with a little excess at the end of the month.
So, as you can see, creating a monthly budget is pretty simple if you use these three must-have budget worksheets. It takes some time and work but living within your means is such a great feeling.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Budget Worksheets - 7 Tips for Creating a Monthly Budget that Works!
Do you need help creating a monthly budget that works? Just follow the seven tips below and you will be well on your way to creating a working monthly budget.
Tip #1 – Know Where You Are – It is important to know where you are financially before you create a month budget. This process includes documenting all your income sources, what you think you spend on expenses each month, and listing all your creditors and the debt that is owed to them. By doing these three things you will get a better understanding of where your finances stand.
Tip #2 – Track you spending – Tracking your spending for 30 days before creating a budget will give you the concrete numbers of how much you spend in each expense category every month. Many people are surprised to see how all the little purchases at up at the end of the month. By knowing how much you typically spend in each expense category you can now plan those expenses for the next month in your budget.
Tip #3 – Plan for periodic expenses – When creating a monthly budget that actually works you will need to plan ahead for periodic expenses such as car insurance (if not paid monthly), yearly car registration, gift giving, school shopping, and insurance deductibles just to name a few. If you estimate these expenses for the year and then divide by 12 you will get an amount that you can save each month for these expenses.
Tip #4 – Allow for Savings – It is always a great idea to plan to save a certain amount of money each month. This can be the beginning of an emergency fund so when unexpected expenses come your way you don’t have to reach for your credit card. This is an important step to getting and keeping yourself out of debt.
Tip #5 – Write Needs/Wants on a Special Worksheet – As members of your family express certain needs and wants, it is helpful to record them on a needs and wants worksheet. This will help to spend money wisely as it becomes available instead of make impulse buys and forgetting what you really wanted or needed.
Tip #6 - Use the Right Worksheets – When creating a budget it is helpful to use the worksheets that will have all the information you need to make a working budget. These worksheets should include a way to track spending, your repayment of debt, a monthly financial report and a monthly budget worksheet. These worksheets will make it easy for you to see all the information you need to create a working budget and show you expense categories you can adjust to make a balanced budget.
Tip #7 – Allow Yourself Some Mad Money – The best tip you can have when creating a monthly budget is to allow some mad money for yourself and spouse in the budget. This is the number one reason most budgets fail and people do not continue using a monthly budget. The resentment of not being able to spend any money makes people frustrated and then they stop tracking their spending all together. If you allow yourself and your spouse even a small amount of money to be spent on anything you wish without having to confer with the other person, your budget will have a much better chance of being successful. If money is tight just allowing a very small amount will help keep the resentment at bay.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Tip #1 – Know Where You Are – It is important to know where you are financially before you create a month budget. This process includes documenting all your income sources, what you think you spend on expenses each month, and listing all your creditors and the debt that is owed to them. By doing these three things you will get a better understanding of where your finances stand.
Tip #2 – Track you spending – Tracking your spending for 30 days before creating a budget will give you the concrete numbers of how much you spend in each expense category every month. Many people are surprised to see how all the little purchases at up at the end of the month. By knowing how much you typically spend in each expense category you can now plan those expenses for the next month in your budget.
Tip #3 – Plan for periodic expenses – When creating a monthly budget that actually works you will need to plan ahead for periodic expenses such as car insurance (if not paid monthly), yearly car registration, gift giving, school shopping, and insurance deductibles just to name a few. If you estimate these expenses for the year and then divide by 12 you will get an amount that you can save each month for these expenses.
Tip #4 – Allow for Savings – It is always a great idea to plan to save a certain amount of money each month. This can be the beginning of an emergency fund so when unexpected expenses come your way you don’t have to reach for your credit card. This is an important step to getting and keeping yourself out of debt.
Tip #5 – Write Needs/Wants on a Special Worksheet – As members of your family express certain needs and wants, it is helpful to record them on a needs and wants worksheet. This will help to spend money wisely as it becomes available instead of make impulse buys and forgetting what you really wanted or needed.
Tip #6 - Use the Right Worksheets – When creating a budget it is helpful to use the worksheets that will have all the information you need to make a working budget. These worksheets should include a way to track spending, your repayment of debt, a monthly financial report and a monthly budget worksheet. These worksheets will make it easy for you to see all the information you need to create a working budget and show you expense categories you can adjust to make a balanced budget.
Tip #7 – Allow Yourself Some Mad Money – The best tip you can have when creating a monthly budget is to allow some mad money for yourself and spouse in the budget. This is the number one reason most budgets fail and people do not continue using a monthly budget. The resentment of not being able to spend any money makes people frustrated and then they stop tracking their spending all together. If you allow yourself and your spouse even a small amount of money to be spent on anything you wish without having to confer with the other person, your budget will have a much better chance of being successful. If money is tight just allowing a very small amount will help keep the resentment at bay.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Monday, February 8, 2010
Budget Worksheets - The #1 Reason Most Budgets Don’t Work
We have all heard the saying “Pay Yourself First” when it comes to creating wealth and a budget. But more importantly than that is to allow for a little mad money for yourself and your spouse. The lack of a little mad money is the number one reason most budgets don’t work.
So, what is mad money and why is it so important when creating a budget. First of all, mad money is a certain amount of money that is set aside in the budget for yourself and your spouse. This money can be used by each party for whatever he or she chooses. For instance, if the budget doesn’t allow for a month facial, the woman in the relationship could take her mad money and get a month facial if she so chooses.
If you don’t allow for a certain amount of mad money for you and your spouse soon resentment will start to set in. Each party will get very frustrated about having to stick to such a strict budget and not having any money for fun. Likewise, even if some money is allocated in the budget for fun, one of the partners may get tired of not being able to spend some money how he or she would like. This mad money even allows you to save some money for a larger purchase you may want to make.
Even if money is extremely tight in your monthly budget, it is highly recommend to allow each spouse a small amount of mad money to help make the budget work. Everyone is more willing to save and track their spending if they are allowed a certain amount of mad money to spend how they wish.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
So, what is mad money and why is it so important when creating a budget. First of all, mad money is a certain amount of money that is set aside in the budget for yourself and your spouse. This money can be used by each party for whatever he or she chooses. For instance, if the budget doesn’t allow for a month facial, the woman in the relationship could take her mad money and get a month facial if she so chooses.
If you don’t allow for a certain amount of mad money for you and your spouse soon resentment will start to set in. Each party will get very frustrated about having to stick to such a strict budget and not having any money for fun. Likewise, even if some money is allocated in the budget for fun, one of the partners may get tired of not being able to spend some money how he or she would like. This mad money even allows you to save some money for a larger purchase you may want to make.
Even if money is extremely tight in your monthly budget, it is highly recommend to allow each spouse a small amount of mad money to help make the budget work. Everyone is more willing to save and track their spending if they are allowed a certain amount of mad money to spend how they wish.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Friday, February 5, 2010
Budget Worksheets – 3 Biggest Mistakes When Creating a Budget
More and more people are trying to create a budget to live by these days with the state of the economy. However, many people have never creating a budget before and are doing so for the first time. When you are creating a budget there are three common mistakes that you will want to avoid and they are listed below.
Mistake #1 – Not Knowing Exactly What You Spend in Each Category – It is extremely difficult to create a working budget if you first don’t know how much you typically spend in each expense category. This is why it is very important to track your spending for 30 days before creating a monthly budget. You will be surprised by how much you actually spend in each expense area.
Mistake #2 – Not Tracking Your Spending and Expenses – It is impossible to keep to your monthly budget if you fail to track your spending. It is recommended that you fill out both a weekly expenses report and a monthly expense record worksheet to track your spending and monthly expenses. It you don’t track you spending you will not know what areas of your budget you need to adjust for next month.
Mistake #3 – Not Planning for Upcoming Expenses – When you are creating a monthly budget it is always helpful to save a certain amount of money for a given category even if you don’t have that expense for the given month. For example, let’s say you pay your car insurance every six month. It is important to take your payment and divide it by six. Then, each month you will want to save that amount so you have the insurance payment when it comes due instead of trying to come up with the whole amount in one given month. If you can do this for as many periodic expenses as possible, it will be easier to have a balanced budget each month.
So, as you can see, if you avoid these common mistakes when creating your monthly budget you will be well on your way to a balanced budget.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Mistake #1 – Not Knowing Exactly What You Spend in Each Category – It is extremely difficult to create a working budget if you first don’t know how much you typically spend in each expense category. This is why it is very important to track your spending for 30 days before creating a monthly budget. You will be surprised by how much you actually spend in each expense area.
Mistake #2 – Not Tracking Your Spending and Expenses – It is impossible to keep to your monthly budget if you fail to track your spending. It is recommended that you fill out both a weekly expenses report and a monthly expense record worksheet to track your spending and monthly expenses. It you don’t track you spending you will not know what areas of your budget you need to adjust for next month.
Mistake #3 – Not Planning for Upcoming Expenses – When you are creating a monthly budget it is always helpful to save a certain amount of money for a given category even if you don’t have that expense for the given month. For example, let’s say you pay your car insurance every six month. It is important to take your payment and divide it by six. Then, each month you will want to save that amount so you have the insurance payment when it comes due instead of trying to come up with the whole amount in one given month. If you can do this for as many periodic expenses as possible, it will be easier to have a balanced budget each month.
So, as you can see, if you avoid these common mistakes when creating your monthly budget you will be well on your way to a balanced budget.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Budgeting Worksheets – How to Create a Monthly Budget Using Budgeting Worksheets
When most people hear about creating a monthly budget they run the other way in fear. They just don’t know where to start. It certainly wasn’t something that most of us where taught in school. However, it would have been more useful than some history lessons.
Creating a monthly budget is really quite simply when you use the right worksheets. However, it does require a consistent effort on your part to both create and to live within your budget.
Follow the how-to directions below to start creating your monthly budget today.
First, track your spending and expenses for the next 30 days. You can begin by recording all your purchases on a weekly expense report worksheet that you fill out each day. Save your receipts from each purchase and then record a description of the purchase, the amount, its category, and how you made the purchase; whether by cash, check, or credit card.
At the end of the week, transfer all your purchases to your monthly expense record worksheet. On this worksheet, you will have a comprehensive view of all expenses for the month and how much you spent in each category such as food, household, and medical just to name a few. You will also record your monthly expenses such as utilities, car payment, credit card payments, and investments.
After you have track your spending for a month, you now have the information you need to create a monthly budget. Now you know exactly how and what you spend your money on. If you did not have a surplus of money at the end of the month, you can now see area where you can trim your spending in order to operate you budget with a surplus next month.
Next, you will want to fill out a monthly financial report worksheet where you record you income and come up with your net spendable income after taxes and any charitable giving. Then you want to take your totals from your monthly expense record worksheet and fill in all amounts in the categories such as household, food, medical, transportation, and recreation just to name a few. When you total up your expenses and subtract them from you net spendable income you will see if you have a surplus or not.
Finally, take the information you have learned and create a budget for next month using a monthly budget worksheet. On this worksheet, you will fill in your income along with your fixed expenses, fixed variables, occasional expenses, and installments such as credit card payments. After you total up your income and all expenses you will be able to see if you have an excess at the end of the month or if you are short. If you are short, now is the time to cut back on some occasional expenses as well as some fixed variable expenses in order to operate a working monthly budget.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Creating a monthly budget is really quite simply when you use the right worksheets. However, it does require a consistent effort on your part to both create and to live within your budget.
Follow the how-to directions below to start creating your monthly budget today.
First, track your spending and expenses for the next 30 days. You can begin by recording all your purchases on a weekly expense report worksheet that you fill out each day. Save your receipts from each purchase and then record a description of the purchase, the amount, its category, and how you made the purchase; whether by cash, check, or credit card.
At the end of the week, transfer all your purchases to your monthly expense record worksheet. On this worksheet, you will have a comprehensive view of all expenses for the month and how much you spent in each category such as food, household, and medical just to name a few. You will also record your monthly expenses such as utilities, car payment, credit card payments, and investments.
After you have track your spending for a month, you now have the information you need to create a monthly budget. Now you know exactly how and what you spend your money on. If you did not have a surplus of money at the end of the month, you can now see area where you can trim your spending in order to operate you budget with a surplus next month.
Next, you will want to fill out a monthly financial report worksheet where you record you income and come up with your net spendable income after taxes and any charitable giving. Then you want to take your totals from your monthly expense record worksheet and fill in all amounts in the categories such as household, food, medical, transportation, and recreation just to name a few. When you total up your expenses and subtract them from you net spendable income you will see if you have a surplus or not.
Finally, take the information you have learned and create a budget for next month using a monthly budget worksheet. On this worksheet, you will fill in your income along with your fixed expenses, fixed variables, occasional expenses, and installments such as credit card payments. After you total up your income and all expenses you will be able to see if you have an excess at the end of the month or if you are short. If you are short, now is the time to cut back on some occasional expenses as well as some fixed variable expenses in order to operate a working monthly budget.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Budget Worksheets – Learn How to Effectively Track Your Weekly and Monthly Spending
When you start working with making a household budget it is extremely important to track your spending and all your expense both on a weekly and monthly basis. Many people dread tracking their expenses and recording every receipt but this is by far the best way to gain control over your spending. There is always a huge gap between what people think they spend and what they actually spend each month. So, tracking your spending is the only way to establish a working budget.
In order to track you spending you will need the following two budget worksheets:
#1 Weekly Expenses Report Worksheet – On this worksheet you will record all the spending for a given week. You will want to have four copies of this worksheet for a given month. Carry it with you to record expenses or make a habit of recording expenses at the end of the day with your daily receipts. Make sure to include a description of the item, the date purchased, the amount and the expense category. You will also want to write down how you paid for the item whether by cash, check, or credit card. This will give you a very detailed report of your weekly spending.
#2 Monthly Expense Record Worksheet – After you have filled out your weekly worksheet for a given week, you will want to transfer all spending and expenses over to the monthly expense record worksheet. It is very helpful to first fill out the weekly expenses report worksheet because people forget to record certain spending when just using the monthly expense record worksheet along.
After filling out these two worksheets you will have effectively tracked your spending for the month. Using the monthly expense record worksheet, you will now have the information you need to create a working budget for next month.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
In order to track you spending you will need the following two budget worksheets:
#1 Weekly Expenses Report Worksheet – On this worksheet you will record all the spending for a given week. You will want to have four copies of this worksheet for a given month. Carry it with you to record expenses or make a habit of recording expenses at the end of the day with your daily receipts. Make sure to include a description of the item, the date purchased, the amount and the expense category. You will also want to write down how you paid for the item whether by cash, check, or credit card. This will give you a very detailed report of your weekly spending.
#2 Monthly Expense Record Worksheet – After you have filled out your weekly worksheet for a given week, you will want to transfer all spending and expenses over to the monthly expense record worksheet. It is very helpful to first fill out the weekly expenses report worksheet because people forget to record certain spending when just using the monthly expense record worksheet along.
After filling out these two worksheets you will have effectively tracked your spending for the month. Using the monthly expense record worksheet, you will now have the information you need to create a working budget for next month.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with three of our budget worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
Budget Worksheets – 3 Budget Worksheets to Find Out Where You Are Financially Today!
Many people are wanting to start living within their means and living on a monthly budget. This is a very smart move considering the state of our economy. However, most people do not know where to begin when creating a budget.
When you begin taking control of your finances and working with a budget, you must first find out where you are now in your financial life. This is a very important step in creating a budget. Below are the three budget worksheets you can use to find out where you are financially today.
Budget Worksheet #1 – Income Tracking Worksheet– On the income tracking worksheet you will want to write down all your income and they dates they are receive. Do not record random monies on this worksheet. Only include regular income such as paychecks, child support and alimony.
Budget Worksheet #2 – Expenses Worksheet – On this expenses worksheet you will want to write down what you think you spend in each category. Categories should include utilities, food expenses, and insurance just to name a few. This is just an estimate of what you think you spend each month.
Budget Worksheet #3 – List of Creditors Worksheet – This worksheet is for you to list all the companies and people who you owe money. They should include any credit cards, pay day loans, and family and friends. You should list the creditor’s name, address, total amount due, and how many months you are in default (if any).
By filling out these three budget worksheets, you will get a visual picture of where you are in your financial life.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with these three worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
When you begin taking control of your finances and working with a budget, you must first find out where you are now in your financial life. This is a very important step in creating a budget. Below are the three budget worksheets you can use to find out where you are financially today.
Budget Worksheet #1 – Income Tracking Worksheet– On the income tracking worksheet you will want to write down all your income and they dates they are receive. Do not record random monies on this worksheet. Only include regular income such as paychecks, child support and alimony.
Budget Worksheet #2 – Expenses Worksheet – On this expenses worksheet you will want to write down what you think you spend in each category. Categories should include utilities, food expenses, and insurance just to name a few. This is just an estimate of what you think you spend each month.
Budget Worksheet #3 – List of Creditors Worksheet – This worksheet is for you to list all the companies and people who you owe money. They should include any credit cards, pay day loans, and family and friends. You should list the creditor’s name, address, total amount due, and how many months you are in default (if any).
By filling out these three budget worksheets, you will get a visual picture of where you are in your financial life.
And if you would like a free chapter of our “Finacial Solutions” Workbook along with these three worksheets just go to http://www.financialsolutionsadvisors.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You will also receive helpful budgeting tips along with money saving ideas.
By: Rhonda Percell – Financial Advisor with REM Financial Solutions
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