A Family Budget that Works

Stretching the family budget to meet living expenses is next to impossible and its not an easy task to stick with. Even if the recession seems to have jumped over some families, a household budget is not something that usually works. OK, we've dealt with the negatives about budgeting. Let' s take a closer look at the situation. Let's see if it is truly possible to adjust family finances so they cover at minimum, the basic necessities of the family's living expenditures.

If a person genuinely wishes to turn their family finances from the red to the green, it will happen. It will take a conscious effort on the part of every member of the family. Everyone will need to buy into the recovery efforts of the family's cost of living expenses.

Now take a look at the purchases made. Where can reductions be made? Are all purchases planned or are many of them spontaneous purchases? Think about it. Take a look a typical scenario. Going to the store to buy milk seems like a pretty simple task. But you came home with milk, cookies, cold cuts and a magazine.

Did you know stores thrive on spontaneous purchases? Did you know basic items such as milk are deliberately positioned at the back of the store? The reasoning behind this is cost effective for the store. You will spend more money before you reach the register to pay for your milk. Now picture yourself entering the store to purchase the milk. You most likely will go down the middle aisles. What will you see before reaching the milk? There is the cookie shelf, the chips, the cold cuts, the sodas and a host of other food items you were not planning to purchase. But you see them and they'd taste good with a cold glass of milk. Or a cold soda would go well with a sandwich.

Now you are at the register waiting to pay for your milk and other things you picked up along the way. You're browsing the magazines and tabloids placed strategically in front of you at the register. What is the natural thing to do? Skim the headlines.Then pick up the magazine or the tabloid. Before you know it, you've placed the magazine on the counter to take home so you can finish reading the article with your snack. You've made at least two spontaneous purchases before leaving the store. That is exactly what the stores want you to do. Money that could have gone towards more important things in the household went to unplanned purchases.

Spontaneous purchases are controllable. The first thing is limit the number of times you enter a store between pay periods. Accomplishing this goal includes making as few trips to the store as possible. Most people shop for groceries once a month. They budget a certain amount of money for food. Few people stick with it because of the spontaneous purchases. Avoiding spontaneous purchases may be accomplished by going to the self-checkout counter. The next time you shop for something, you will notice there are no traps set up for you at the self checkout counters. The most you will see are instructions for completing your purchase and bags for your purchased items. No temptations lurk around the self check-out counters.

Go to the stores, especially grocery stores during the times there are no crowds . You could go late at night, early in the day or before most people get off work. That means no standing in line and no browsing. The temptations will be less appealing because you will not be standing in lines that seem to move at a snails pace.

Set aside money for perishable items that must be purchased between grocery trips. That means you will probably go to the store once or twice a month for these items.With this budget in place, gain family members' agreement that the money will only be used for what it was set aside for. Don't bring anything out of the store they did not go in there for.

The family cars can be a real drain on family finances. This area is where the family budget can be decimated with one repair bill. Maintaining the car is preventive care that ensures a safe trip and an efficiently driving vehicle. Think about an under inflated tire. It cost more money to drive an improperly filled tire than it does to maintain the correct tire pressure. Poorly inflated tires means more trips to the gas station.Thus more unplanned money spent.

Maintaining clean motor oil and air filters means a car that uses less gas and less wear on the engine. Getting maintenance checks on schedule protects the car from expensive repairs down the road. Purchase high quality gas. Quality gas not only makes the car run efficiently, it protects and cleans the engine on a daily basis. You will have a better running car and extend the life of the engine. That means no need for a new car or a trip to the dealership for avoidable repairs. Everyone knows taking a car to the dealership is at least a couple hundred dollars before the mechanic raises the hood of the car. Could you use that money on more important things for the family?

Washing clothes can be an expensive project for the entire household. Reduce the cost of washing materials, and maintain the life of the washer and dryer with a little team effort. The end results will be more money for other more interesting activities. Now how will this work? First, have everyone wash clothes in the house at the same time. That means everyone contributes clothes to the clothes pile at the same time. The combined clothes will make a reasonable wash load.That will eliminate several people washing a few things on different days of the week. By doing this, you've saved on detergent, electricity, gas and wear on the machines. Using cold water where possible is another great saving.

Contact the utility companies and ask to be placed on a budget program. With a utility budget, you will know the amount of money that will be paid each month. Your family budget will see an increase in funds available for other projects.

The family budget adjustments suggested in this article are basic actions families may take without noticeable sacrifices. The savings will be evident. The savings may be applied to a savings account or used to make needed repairs around the house. And it is always important to set aside money for at least one family treat a month.

The stores are filled with how to books and magazines. If you would like more information on family and finances, check out the Amazon selections listed below.

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