![]() Start by going over last month’s statements and recording your bills by budget category: mortgage/rent, groceries, cell phone bill, etc. Next, write down a list of your expenses. Maintaining a budget can help you make sure that your income exceeds your expenses and allows room for retirement savings. This includes your take-home pay (your paycheck after taxes and other deductions) and any other sources of income. The first step is to figure out how much money you’re bringing in every month. Read on to learn about the five steps to a successful budget and download our printable worksheet (PDF file) below to start budgeting the Team Clark way! 1. To help you get started, remember that budgeting is as simple as C-L-A-R-K: After the initial setup, it’s really easy and doesn’t take much time. Making a monthly budget for the first time may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. This is about giving you power back into your life.” The CLARK Method: 5 Steps to Better Budgeting “Tracking what you’re spending and then seeing where you can make changes in your life is powerful. But the whole idea of budgeting is freeing because you’re getting your life under control, creating more choices and reducing anxiety,” money expert Clark Howard says. “A lot of people look at being told to do a budget as if their life is being restricted. The CLARK Method and our free budget worksheet will put YOU in control of your money: We developed a 5-step plan to help you create a personal budget and stick to it over the long haul. You can also make your budget right in the app, however, the printable sheet is great to reference month to month to see where your adjustments are needed.The secret to saving more and spending less every month isn’t a secret at all - it’s a budget. To make this process easier, you can also use the app which is free for you and I will get rewarded for sharing! It will categorize your spending (once you tell it which category the expenditure belongs in) and will make it easier to fill in the sheet. Consider paying off certain loans faster, or perhaps you can start saving up for a special or large purchase. You could also be contributing more to your retirement savings. Perhaps you need to build up an emergency or “rainy day” fund. ![]() Should you find, on the other hand, that you consistently have money left over every month, you now have the opportunity to decide what to do with that extra cash. ![]() The printable monthly budget template makes this easy to refer to and see what spending seems high. Should you find that at the end of the month that you are consistently spending more than you are bringing in, it might be time to take a closer look at where you're spending your money and adjust those areas where you can to make up the difference. You've Completed the Budget Worksheet, What Now? Make sure to check out the Weekly Ads every week to find the best grocery sales! These expenses can but cut the easiest such as using coupons for groceries, shopping at places such as BJs Wholesale or Tops Markets to get less expensive gas or earn gas points, maximizing your grocery budget, spending summer holidays at home instead of vacationing etc. ![]() This category is more specific to your families needs such as child care, gas, entertainment, groceries etc. Here is a breakdown of the Monthly Budget Template. You may even recognize that some months are different than others, but you should find after going through this exercise that you are more prepared for those changes and that you're accounting for unanticipated expenses as well. If you're finding your financial situation is changing due to an unforeseen economic downturn or job loss or you wish to begin investing more money or are finding yourself using a credit card often, now is a good time to get familiar with these resources and get ahead of your budget to keep your family out of debt and using your money wisely by investing the extra money you do have.‹› How to Use Monthly Budget Worksheets & TemplatesĪs everyone's financial situation is different, you may find that not every category in these worksheets below is applicable to your income or spending. An accurate budget will also help you to better understand what you can and cannot afford. By listing all of your sources of income against all of your monthly expenditures, you get a true picture of your personal cash flow, which will allow you to make better and more informed financial decisions. Extreme Couponing vs Everyday CouponingĪ budget is really just a tool to gain a better and more accurate insight into your spending habits.
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