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Editorial

How to create a budget for household goods

  • PublishedAugust 8, 2019

To take care of your finances you need a budget. Having a budget will help you make better shopping decisions.  Creating a budget fully requires that you commit your expenses and create your spreadsheet.You are also required to analyze the results and make improvements on a  line item by line item basis. The following is what is required of you to correctly budget for household goods.

Understand and tack your spending

Try to account for every dollar spent monthly. At the end of each day write down a list of the  expenditure. Think critically about the money you spend how you spend and whether it was necessary for you to spend it the way you did. It is advisable to keep a note book for a month before you create your budget. Try to label each expense with a certain attribute.

Assign each expense to a budget category.

For instance if you go for grocery shopping assign it to the category of grocery. Instead of saying food expenses be more specific and include categories for dining out, carry out, entertaining, food gifts, snacks, coffee breaks, impulse food buys and even holiday food purchases. This makes it easy to add up all the expenses  after analyzing.

Determine if the budget expense is discretionary.

Discretionary expenses are items that you do not need or require in your household budget to live. Expenses such as entertainment and dining out are discretionary expenses. Non-discretionary expenses are when you buy groceries that feed your family.

How to change and improve your household budget to meet your needs.

Increase your income or decrease your expenses.
Start with you biggest expenses like mortgage and insurance.
Control your spending and cut cost in areas where you find they are higher on spending.
Find ways to make more money.

ALSO READ: Good money habits for millennials 

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