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InvisibleWarrior
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Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget
    #15178876 - 10/04/11 10:10 PM (12 years, 3 months ago)

I could use a little help getting my household financially organized. I  am in the habit of handing off money to my girlfriend to pay the bills and as a result I never know what is due when, how much the bills are for and how much we have left.

Also, I'm very bad about spending money on things I don't need and I think if I were to look at it a little closer I could cut some things out and save a little more each month.

I'd like to find some sort of computer program where I can enter all the bills and have it organized as to when each of them are due.

Monthly Expenses:

Rent
Gas
Electric
Water
Trash
Cell Phone
One Car Payment
Car Insurance
Child Support
Groceries/Gas
Entertainment
*Savings

After $2,100.00 more towards my truck we'll be 100% debt free.

How do you guys track your household budget? Can you think of anything that might be able to help us out?


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Invisiblebryguy27007
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Re: Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget [Re: Warrior]
    #15193488 - 10/07/11 08:47 PM (12 years, 3 months ago)

I use Excel. It has a spread sheet for household budget. I enter all my fixed expenses (Rent, Netflix, donations to MAPS and Sierra Club, internet) and have those up top in a cool little table. In this table there are also categories for food, gas, and everything else that I impose a monthly limit (goal) and total amount spent to datel

I have areas for income and areas for variable monthly expenses. I write myself when each one is due and have a spot to put an X when I pay them. I also have areas for amount in my bank account and for how much I owe on the credit card (paid in full every month). Then I have a final box to tell me my total available money.

This works very well. Every time I buy something I get a receipt and enter it. After a couple times of entering ridiculous or unnecessary things you quit spending money on those.

It works very well for me.
I have also heard about a free program that automatically downloads all your credit/check card purchases onto a spreadsheet but I like entering them myself to see if it was really worth it.

Good luck.

Congratulations on almost being debt free!
I wish I could say the same.


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OfflineGroovy Grant
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Re: Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget [Re: Warrior]
    #15199170 - 10/09/11 07:07 AM (12 years, 3 months ago)

Mint.com will track everything for you, however it seems like they're always ironing out bugs with even the most major banks like (Bank of America) that it's not always up to date.

As for individual budgets, one of our biggest variable expenses was groceries. My girlfriend and I would go to the grocery store and walk aimlessly buying anything and everything we could think of. Then in a week we'd throw out a ton of rotten or spoiled food. It was driving my crazy, so we agreed to set a monthly cash budget for food. We take out the cash at the beginning of the month and put it in an envelope. Once it's gone, we can't spend any more.

It's worked pretty well; at first she thought we'd never be able to buy everything with the amount we picked ($260/mo), but it's worked out very well! We haven't come up short yet! Also, it's helped us think more about what we're buying and plan things better.

You could do this with more envelopes for other budgets too. At least until you get your spending under control.

Good luck!


Edited by Groovy Grant (10/09/11 07:13 AM)


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Invisiblebadchad
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Posts: 13,372
Re: Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget [Re: bryguy27007]
    #15199835 - 10/09/11 11:09 AM (12 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

bryguy27007 said:
I use Excel. It has a spread sheet for household budget. I enter all my fixed expenses (Rent, Netflix, donations to MAPS and Sierra Club, internet) and have those up top in a cool little table. In this table there are also categories for food, gas, and everything else that I impose a monthly limit (goal) and total amount spent to datel

I have areas for income and areas for variable monthly expenses. I write myself when each one is due and have a spot to put an X when I pay them. I also have areas for amount in my bank account and for how much I owe on the credit card (paid in full every month). Then I have a final box to tell me my total available money.




I do about the same.  Use excel.  Fixed expenses go in one row.

Variable expenses (gas, electric, groveries) etc. go in a seprate sheet.  On this sheet, I keep a running average, and use that to budget (e.g. the statistical average of electric, gas etc.).

The most difficult thing is keeping track of the "little expenses".  $10 here or there for a beer, food etc.  Over a month, the "little"expenses really, REALLY add up.

Personally, I put each and every purchase on my credit card.  Even a pack of gum, roll of toilet paper etc.  EVERYTHING goes on my credit card, specifically because everything is tracked.

Thus, all öf my monthly "variable" purchases (including food) are lumped into a single category:  "credit card bill".  If you can pay the balance off in full each and every month, using a credit card for 100% of your purchases is an excellent way to track what you spend. 

However, if you lack basic cognitive skills and might go into debt with a credit card, don't do it.


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...the whole experience is (and is as) a profound piece of knowledge.  It is an indellible experience; it is forever known.  I have known myself in a way I doubt I would have ever occurred except as it did.

Smith, P.  Bull. Menninger Clinic (1959) 23:20-27; p. 27.

...most subjects find the experience valuable, some find it frightening, and many say that is it uniquely lovely.

Osmond, H.  Annals, NY Acad Science (1957) 66:418-434; p.436


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OfflineHorse_Meister
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Re: Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget [Re: bryguy27007]
    #15215602 - 10/12/11 06:39 PM (12 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

bryguy27007 said:
I use Excel. It has a spread sheet for household budget. I enter all my fixed expenses (Rent, Netflix, donations to MAPS and Sierra Club, internet) and have those up top in a cool little table. In this table there are also categories for food, gas, and everything else that I impose a monthly limit (goal) and total amount spent to datel

I have areas for income and areas for variable monthly expenses. I write myself when each one is due and have a spot to put an X when I pay them. I also have areas for amount in my bank account and for how much I owe on the credit card (paid in full every month). Then I have a final box to tell me my total available money.

This works very well. Every time I buy something I get a receipt and enter it. After a couple times of entering ridiculous or unnecessary things you quit spending money on those.

It works very well for me.
I have also heard about a free program that automatically downloads all your credit/check card purchases onto a spreadsheet but I like entering them myself to see if it was really worth it.

Good luck.

Congratulations on almost being debt free!
I wish I could say the same.





I'd like to get my hands on this if you can upload it somewhere... even here for us to download... just the template :smile:

Lately I have found spending money on only gas/maintenance/groceries/phone to be the only real things taking money from my pockets. I have simply cut out hanging out with friends, drinking, buying the latest toys, video games, etc out. Mind you, I spend most of my time working or trying to learn something new - lol while being extremely cheap about it.

I'll be honest with how I feel. I do not understand why everything we do today costs $40 - $100. I understand the whole capitalism game where everyone clings on and raises the price so each person in the chain profits while bringing the horrible price down to the consumer level. I understand that the average working person might only bring home $100 or less in a working day... it honestly makes me sick when I have to literally fork over more than $10 for a simple fast food meal, movie pass, etc. I feel sick because I think of the rent of those places, then the employee wages, etc. the employees are literally getting as fucked out of the deal as the consumer, if not worse - most dont get to take on full time employment nor partake with benefits - which brings down morale - and i dont want to be on the receiving end of a low morale made product. I dunno, I just kinda gave up on spending money on the smaller things that add up quickly... there's so much ignorance and bullshit... hell I can't even watch television without getting pissed off at all the marketing campaigns. everyone is trying to fuck everyone...



Edited by Horse_Meister (10/12/11 06:53 PM)


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OfflineMisterPink
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Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 534
Loc: The Bean
Last seen: 10 years, 5 months
Re: Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget [Re: Horse_Meister]
    #15220994 - 10/13/11 05:44 PM (12 years, 3 months ago)

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CL102207099.aspx#ai:TC001023342|

I use this. You can modify it as you see fit. ie if you don't spend money in category 'x' then just change the labels. There are probably better forms, but this is free and pre-formatted.

Hope it helps. Knowing where your money goes is an amazing tool, not knowing can put you at a serious disadvantage.

Edit for grammar.


Edited by MisterPink (10/13/11 05:45 PM)


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Invisiblebryguy27007
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Re: Tips for getting the household on a more organized budget [Re: Horse_Meister]
    #15222731 - 10/13/11 10:53 PM (12 years, 3 months ago)

Quote:

Horse_Meister said:
Quote:

bryguy27007 said:
I use Excel. It has a spread sheet for household budget. I enter all my fixed expenses (Rent, Netflix, donations to MAPS and Sierra Club, internet) and have those up top in a cool little table. In this table there are also categories for food, gas, and everything else that I impose a monthly limit (goal) and total amount spent to datel

I have areas for income and areas for variable monthly expenses. I write myself when each one is due and have a spot to put an X when I pay them. I also have areas for amount in my bank account and for how much I owe on the credit card (paid in full every month). Then I have a final box to tell me my total available money.

This works very well. Every time I buy something I get a receipt and enter it. After a couple times of entering ridiculous or unnecessary things you quit spending money on those.

It works very well for me.
I have also heard about a free program that automatically downloads all your credit/check card purchases onto a spreadsheet but I like entering them myself to see if it was really worth it.

Good luck.

Congratulations on almost being debt free!
I wish I could say the same.





I'd like to get my hands on this if you can upload it somewhere... even here for us to download... just the template :smile:





Mine came preloaded on Microsoft Excel for Apple. I tweaked it a little bit to fit my needs. I have no idea how I would go about uploading that.


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