Redefine Finance !!!

Creating a budget may not sound like the most exciting thing in the world to do, but it is vital in keeping your financial house in order. Before you begin to create your budget it is important to realize that in order to be successful you have to provide as much detailed information as possible. Ultimately, the end result will be able to show where your money is coming from, how much is there and where it is all going.

Financial confident people work with a budget. A good budget ensures you live within your means hence avoid unnecessary spending. It also helps you save part of your income. In order for your budget to work for you then it should meet some standards. But one of the most crucial elements of a good financial plan is that it should always be based on your financial goals.

Budgeting is not just about keeping track of your expenditure but it also includes helping you meet your personal financial targets in life. This is because, without financial goals in life you will never be in control of your money. To improve your financial status, start planning your finances carefully.

• Gather every financial statement you can. Includes bank statements, investment accounts, recent utility bills and any information regarding a source of income or expense. The key for this process is to create a monthly average.
• Create a list of monthly expenses. Write down a list of all the expected expenses you plan on incurring over the course of a month. Includes a mortgage payment, car payments, auto insurance, groceries, utilities, entertainment, dry cleaning, auto insurance, retirement or college savings and essentially everything you spend money on.
• Record all of your sources of income. No matter If you are self-employed or have any outside sources of income or If your income is in the form of a regular paycheck where taxes are automatically deducted. Record this total income as a monthly amount.
• Break expenses into two categories: fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are those that stay relatively the same each month and are required parts of your way of living. Variable expenses are the type that will change from month to month and this category will be important while making adjustments.
• Total your monthly income and monthly expenses. If your end result shows more income than expenses you are off to a good start. If you are showing a higher expense column than income it means some changes will have to be made.
• Make adjustments to expenses. If you have accurately identified and listed all of your expenses the ultimate goal would be to have your income and expense columns to be equal. This means all of your income is accounted for and budgeted for a specific expense. If you are in a situation where expenses are higher than income you should look at your variable expenses to find areas to cut.
• Review your budget monthly. It is important to review your budget on a regular basis to make sure you are staying on track. After the first month take a minute to sit down and compare the actual expenses versus what you had created in the budget.