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Book I: Taking Charge of Your Finances
For keeping track of your budget, take a look at office supply stores for an
easy-to-use, inexpensive family budgeting book. If you want something small
that you can carry with you at all times, the Budget Map (http://budget
map·com
) is a specially designed ledger that fits in your personal checkbook
and takes the fuss out of making and sticking to a budget. We've found it to
be easy, effective, and relatively inexpensive ($30, with a 90-day money back,
no-questions-asked guarantee). Give up one latte a month, and the Budget
Map is paid for.
A simple tip for taking care of your budgeting woes for regular bills is to pay
for a part of each budget item each time you get paid. Maybe your utility bill
is due every two months, but your husband gets paid twice a month. Figure
out what your average two-month utility bill is and then divide that number
by four. That amount then comes out of each and every pay period for utili-
ties. Sometimes you can plan for a small payment every two weeks easier
than for one large payment once every other month. If you have a monthly
mortgage payment and get paid twice a month, write a check for half the
mortgage payment each pay period. If you have an insurance payment due
every six months, write 12 small checks, one on each pay period.
We hope you've caught the budget bug! If so, the next chapter is up your alley.
