Tag: budget planning

budget debt savings

Money in May Recap

Lori @ Touch of Organized4 Comments

The tightrope balancing of a household budget

What a month we’ve had, discussing all of the different parts of financial organization.
Balancing the in-come and the out-go can be a tightrope but with a little planning and organization it can all come together.

Budget Planner Pages

In addition to the great workbook in my library (sign up below for access), I also want to make sure you see these
printable PDF files on Etsy!

All about Budget Planning

  • In-come versus Out-go: The most basic budgeting rule is to make sure that the out-go does not exceed the in-come.
  • Fixed and Flexible Expenses: Some expenses are non-negotiable such as the mortgage but many are flexible in the sense that they could be managed differently.
  • Spending Tracking: Tracking the incoming and outgoing dollars for two or three months to truly see your money is doing.
  • Debt Reduction: The key to reducing your debt for good is bit by bit. Rarely do we have a huge cash influx in order to make a big dent.
  • Saving Tracking: Having a plan goes a long way to being successful at truly saving money.

More about Expense Tracking

  • What are your largest expenses? Take a look at your biggest expenses first before addressing the smaller ones.
  • Where can you save money on outgoing expenses? Sometimes it isn’t about the big savings, it’s about the little ones such as a $5 coffee here or a $10 lunch out there.
  • What do you want to use that savings toward? Keep your goals in mind in order to keep yourself on track!

Time to talk about Debt Reduction

  • The bottomless well — The list of potential debt can be as long as a CVS receipt. It adds up one charge at a time until you’re underwater completely.
  • More than the minimum — Even if you can only afford an extra $10 per payment, it will add up.
  • Self-fulfilling cycle — The more debt you pay off, the more money you will have to put towards other debt.

How about Savings Tracking

  • Where will the savings come from? Even setting aside just $10 per paycheck can add up towards your savings goal.
  • What are your savings goals? Speaking of which, don’t forget to set that goal! It will help keep you on track.
  • What will keep you motivated? There really isn’t an immediate payoff to a savings goal so make sure you figure out what your true motivation is.

Sign up below to get your workbook from my library,
to help you work through everything we’ve discussed this month!

spending tracking

Money in May Part #2: Spending Tracking

Lori @ Touch of Organized3 Comments

Budget planning time
The first in this series was about budget planning.
Now let’s talk about tracking our spending habits!

Budget Planner Pages

Don’t forget your
printable PDF documents!

What are your largest expenses?

Let’s start with the biggest expenses.  Typically that is housing (the rent or the mortgage).  For many households, it can also be debt which might include student loans, car payments, or credit card payments.  Child care and medical care can also take a big chunk out of your paycheck.  Some of these expenses are fixed which means there is no flexibility in the minimum payment.

Where can you save money on outgoing expenses?

While some expenditures are fixed such as the rent, some are more fluid such as groceries or entertainment.  If you wonder why your money runs out long before the month runs out, tracking your spending will help narrow down what is happening with the money.  Oftentimes, it is a $5 coffee here or a $10 movie ticket there but it all adds up.  I am a huge spreadsheet girl and I have created several to track expenses.  At one point, my grocery bill was out of control so I even broke the grocery bill down into its own spreadsheet – hand-entering how much we spent on dog food and coffee creamer and ice cream. Once you have a better handle on the spending, you can start to figure out where you could start saving.  Can you download apps to take advantage of grocery store sales?  Can you start eating leftovers more often?  If you go out to eat, can you reduce your alcohol tab or maybe even split a meal with a friend?

What do you want to use that savings toward?

Now all of this tracking only benefits you if you have a goal in mind.  Once you carve out that extra money, what will you do with it?  Do you want to reduce your debt?  Do you want to take a vacation?  Maybe you just need to build up a nice cushion in your savings account.  If you start to miss that $5 coffee, it will be easier to stay on track if you keep your ultimate goal in mind.  There is no incentive if you don’t know what you are working towards!

budget planning

Money in May Part #1: Budget Planning

Lori @ Touch of Organized4 Comments

Budget planning time
So for the month of May, I want to talk with you about your household financial organization: planning a budget, tracking your spending and expenses, reducing your debt, and tracking your savings. There are a lot of moving parts to organizing the financial parts of your life, and I have some tools to make it a little easier.

Budget Planner Pages

If you are looking for a great planning tool, check out my set of printable PDF files on Etsy!

In-come versus Out-go

Budgeting all boils down to balancing the “in-come” versus the “out-go”.  And oftentimes, the budgeting downfall is more of the out-go than the in-come.  Tracking both can really help establish the household budget and keep it on track.  In this series for May, we will be talking about tracking our spending, reducing our debt, and improving our savings.  So let’s get started!

Fixed and Flexible Expenses

Some of the expenses are fixed such as rent or a car payment.  However, many of our regular expenses are flexible in the sense that they could be managed differently.  Perhaps keeping the thermostat a degree or two differently could impact the energy bill, or you might be able to reduce your cable bill by changing to a smaller plan.  Being able to improve the flexible expenses will go a long way in helping you achieve that financial organization!

Spending Tracking

Without a good tracking system, it is hard to know where all the money goes.  I suggest tracking every outgoing dollar for two months (three if you have some quarterly payments) to really get a handle on the spending.  There will be some areas that will really surprise you I’m sure!

Debt Reduction

Almost everyone carries some type of debt.  Albeit, a mortgage payment is a different type of debt versus a credit card balance.  But reducing the debt where you can will really help the bottom line of your household budget.

Saving Tracking

In addition to reducing the debt, creating a savings plan is essential for financial organization and peace of mind.  Whether you are saving towards a cushion of cash or a specific vacation or even retirement, keeping track of what you are saving will help keep that goal in mind.  And remember — pay yourself first!