Budgeting-Great Advice On Budgeting Worksheets, Personal Budgeting, And Budgeting Tips

Keeping track of our hard earned money is something that a great majority of us have trouble with. It’s as if we spend it faster then we make it and by the end of each pay period we are left wondering where it all went. Learning to efficiently manage money is something everyone needs to know, but unfortunately most people are never taught this most valuable of skills.

This is where a budget is most valuable. It gives a starting point in which we can all learn to properly manage our money. Let’s look at it this way. Most businesses and corporation have a budget, even the United States government has a “budget” (okay, bad example), but individuals and families seldom follow any sort of budget. In this day of overwhelming debt this is not good.

The first thing you need to do when starting a budget is to set a goal. What do you want your money to do for you? Do you want to get the spending under control? Get out of debt? Save up for a big purchase? Put money into retirement accounts? If you have a specific goal or goals it is much easier to build a budget around that.

Most people who start a budget just want to find out where their money is going. As you list out your expenditures you will begin to see patterns. Some expenses you just have to live with like a mortgage or utility bills. It’s when you start looking at all the little expenses and how they add up they don’t seem so little anymore.

If you start cutting out some of these smaller daily expenses, like the daily morning coffee for 4$ a pop, you may begin to see that you do indeed have extra money at the end of the month. The point is that it is the small items that add up over time and this is what causes the most financial problems for many people. If you buy that cup of coffee on the way to work everyday that turns out to be $80 a month or $960 a year. Add a few more small regular purchases into that equation and before you know it you are spending thousands of dollars a year on coffee, sodas and other things.

Here’s another secret to keeping your budget going. If you are using your budget to help pay off credit card and other debt then list out your debts from smallest to largest. Once you pay all your minimums on all your debts take any extra money that is left over and send it to your smallest debt. Yes, that’s right, the smallest one. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you pay that one off and it will give you motivation to move to the next one.

Staying motivated is best way to keep using a budget to find that financial freedom you always wanted. After all, it is our behavior with money that causes most of our financial problems in the first place.



By: Andrew Bicknell

About the Author:

Johnson Darting

Your home budget software or budget spreadsheet should be aiding you in reaching your L.T.G.s. in life. If you are tired of living week by week, month by month, and existing without actually living. And you want the fruits of life and not just the mere act of existence. Then, by all means, I seriously suggest that you start by adding some L.T.G.s to your daily financial diet! Oh… You want to know what L.T.G.s are? Of course! L.T.G. is the short way of saying, “Long Term Goal”. I know…Your thinking “Sure, right, my life consists of three Children, one spouse (actually forth child), rent, car loans, and a bank balance that hovers somewhere between going and gone!” Yet, L.T.G.s are not impossible when employing an comprehensive strategy geared from the outset to the achievement of your long term goals in life. As a matter of fact, anyone, at just about any level of income can have and achieve their long term goals in life.

Did you know that there are two driving forces, or perspectives at work in achieving your long term goals in life? It true, they are yours and the author behind the home budget or budget spreadsheet you have opted to use on a daily bases; and any commitment failure from either end will most likely cause a derailment of any and all of your long term goals. So let us take under consideration, these two perspectives and how they apply to achieving your long term goals in life.

The first perspective is of course yours, and is broken down into two parts. These two areas are your personal commitment to achieving your long term goals and will work apart from your budget spreadsheet; but they are none the less foundational to its success. First, you will need to exercise focus and/or determination. Please, keep in the cracks and crevices of your mind that abstract goals in life that are akin to “power”, “financial freedom”, and “being rich” are nice; but will soon fade away, since wealth and power are at best relative; you will never earn enough, nor have enough power. Ergo, these are unfocused and unrealistic “types” of goals to have in life. Focused goals in life should revolve around items of need, trips or get-a-ways, and personal achievements. Thou, this is not a comprehensive list; these are however, tangible and attainable for the resolute of mind. Secondly, you will also need to allow for time in reaching your long term goals in life. Many families become discouraged in the short term, soon giving up for failing to grasp this basic concept in Long term goal achievement. When looking at other families we tend to see the results and not the determination, hard work, and time that had produced such results.  So please, work hard, remain patient, focus on each goal, and allow for plenty of time!

The last perspective is the authors’ and is reflective in the type of budget spreadsheet or home budget software he has designed for you to use. This is the authors’ commitment in aiding you to reaching your long term goals in life. It should be interjected at this point that the purpose of any budget spreadsheet or home budget is only to provide useful information in one form or another. It does not decide on which bills to pay, nor the order in which they are paid. Simple put, your home budget is not your brain; it is a means to an end!  That being said; the types of information provided will have a direct bearing on your ability to reach your long term goals. Information such as daily bank balances, your lowest balance in the year, and bank balance trends over a period of time. It is not wise to have a long term commitment without understanding it impact on your finances today and all of your tomorrows to come. The authors’ commitment should also include easy to use software or spreadsheets. There is nothing more taxing on the mind than trying to navigate through a hard to use and complex home budget or budget spreadsheet.

So, now that the lights are starting to dim and everyone has gathered up all of their belongings as they prepare to leave and journey to their perspective homes; what will we take away with us and remember the most about this article? That there are two perspectives or driving forces that impact your ability to reaching your long term goals in life.

While it is our responsibility is to be focused, coupled with patience and time; the authors’ responsibility is to provide useful information in an easy to use and understandable format.

My name is Michael Reichwein and I would like to invite you to come and visit our home budgeting spreadsheet website at http://www.bottomlinebudget.com today. You will be able to see the solutions that we have implemented in our budgeting spreadsheets that have enabled families from all over the world in making their home budgeting dreams come true! Take the challenge! Come, use our free download, and see if you can start building your dreams today!



By: Michael Reichwein

About the Author:

Isiah Irimata

AmericanVUK asked:

Boneshaker Choppers’ Final Build: pour yourself a drink, you’ll be here for some time while the painted bike is reassembled, wired and gets ready to roll … and indeed rides off into a liquid sunset at the end. Team Boneshaker: Benny (black hat), Rob (green hat), Scot (quiff), Punch (Red hat) and Ian (black jacket). Bike’s new owner, Spindle, provided the lunch and refreshments (flesh coloured hat), while Vikki provided the Riverdance floorshow. This was an American-V production, shot by …

Melvin Nicoletti

Kelly B asked:


So i have serious shopping problems. And tend to spend money when I really shouldn’t. So i am asking for help with a budget. How much should i put aside for utilities? My rent is $ 600 but i have a roommate so we are splitting everything so I technically need $300 for rent, but how much is eletric,gas, cable, internet, etc. I also have a phone bill that is usually $88 plus credit cards and doctor bills. Please help me set a budget!

Adolfo Pilarz

rickvanman asked:

I wanted to build a poor mans steadicam (the $14 steadi cam) but over here in the UK, you can’t seem to get all of the necessary parts. So here’s my solution….. I have to add – I built this ages ago when I was very naieve and didn’t know what I waS DOING! I have since moved on to the flycam 5000 which has rendered this obselete now.

Dianne Melaun

TheTwistedPictures asked:

Disclaimer: Lots of bad words! PS: This was all a joke and the whole low budget editing, lighting, and acting was supposed to be like that. The Cast: Pat MaGroin – Audible One Nut – Alias Grapefruit – Daniel (Audible’s brother)

Isiah Irimata