At the beginning of a married life, thoughts about money and other everyday problems seem insignificant and not worthy of attention. But time passes, the passion subsides, and every day you need to buy food, you need money for other expenses. Then comes the realization that without proper budget planning, serious problems can begin.
Instructions
Step 1
First, you need to determine what is included in the family budget and what amount is received on average per month. There are several options for the formation of the family budget: general (all incomes are added together), compromise (only a part of the spouses' income is added, about 70%, the rest remains for personal expenses) or a separate budget (money does not add up to a common pot, but each spouse is assigned certain costs). You can choose one of the ready-made techniques or adjust one of them to suit your situation.
Step 2
Identify your expense items. They differ by month, but there is a certain set of mandatory expenses that should be taken into account. Make a rough list of where you spend your money. It is not necessary to describe where each ruble goes, you can combine them into groups. For example, utility bills, loans, groceries. In front of each of them, write the approximate amount of spending per month.
Step 3
Now categorize your lists into two categories - required and optional. Label them with the letters H and O. For example, groceries and bills must be paid every month, but you can opt out or cut back on going out to restaurants and theaters. Do not give up completely on entertainment, allocate a certain amount of money for recreation.
Step 4
In addition, there are expenses that are not monthly: the purchase of equipment, outerwear, shoes, a trip to the sea, they also require accounting. You can save a small part of your income every month in order to get the required amount by the required date. For unforeseen situations, it is better to have untouchable stock in a bank account, which should only be resorted to as a last resort.
Step 5
Now you need to distribute income by expense item. Calculate the amount of required spending and set aside the required amount with a small margin. Usually 50% of the total budget is spent on compulsory spending. Set aside 10-20% of total income for unforeseen expenses, and distribute the rest for vacation, buying clothes and other personal expenses. Much depends on your income and expenses, but the approximate distribution of the family budget looks like this.
