What can you save your family budget on? How to learn how to save your family budget - rules and tips for planning expenses How you can save your family budget

How to Save a Family Budget: Family Budget Spreadsheet

2.3 (46.67%) 3 vote [s]

Many people sometimes wonder why some of them spend their holidays in the south, while others can only afford barbecue in the country? Or why, given the same income, one buys a second car while the other takes the bus?

It's not about wealthy relatives or accidentally winning the lottery. Most likely, the reason is the ability to count the money earned and spend it. How to save your family budget correctly?

1. Always plan your income and expenses. Knowing the exact numbers will help you save money.
2. Refuse loans. The only exception can be loans for work, for example, for a car or for business development.
3. Start a piggy bank. This is not about a "pig" for collecting little things, but about how you need to learn how to set aside 10% of your income for unforeseen expenses. This will help you save up a decent amount to buy something big.
4. Buy gifts in advance. This is good advice for those who are used to getting ready for a visit at the last moment. Often you have to take the first thing that caught your eye, since there is absolutely no time left to choose.
5. Don't give in to emotions. Before buying something very important, you should think carefully - is it really necessary ?!
6. Divide all expenses into groups. This refers to money for "food", "transport", "household chemicals", "cosmetics", "utility bills", "communication costs" and so on. After that, you can analyze and correct the resulting numbers.
7. Refuse unnecessary little things. Snacks on the go, magazines on the road, water from vending machines - all this steals a lot of money from the family budget.
8. Prepare lunch yourself for work. As a rule, homemade food is cheaper than in "public catering". If there is no way to eat at home, then you need to include these costs in the family budget.
9. Always buy quality items. Don't skimp on good clothes, shoes, or electronics and appliances. Most often, the price is a guarantee that the item will last longer.
10. Use concentrated products in the household. Despite their price, concentrates of washing powders, conditioners and other various products last much longer and thus allow you to save on purchases.

By adhering to these rules, you can save enough money to buy something expensive or for a trip to hot countries, for example.

How to control your family budget using a spreadsheet?

How to properly manage your family budget in order to save money? The first thing that comes to mind when you need to calculate something is to take a notebook with a pen. You can, of course, draw the table yourself, but it will be more convenient to use Microsoft services and arrange your expenses in Excel.

How to make a family budget? First you need to clearly decide for yourself - why save.

The main goal, calculated for a period of up to 5 years (medium-term), is to reduce unimportant expenses in order to purchase something meaningful, for example, a laptop or a professional camera.

The goal can also be short-term - to pay off some small debts, or long-term - to pay off a mortgage or buy a home.

The next step is to record all income for the family. This includes wages, alimony, benefits, pensions and others.

You should also enter in the table all the estimated costs - fixed and variable. Here it is necessary to take into account the desires of all family members so that there are no misunderstandings. An example of such a table (the data below does not need to be considered a standard):

Maintaining such tables will help to identify completely unnecessary expenses and, accordingly, save the family budget.

How to plan your family budget for a month?

So that at the end of the month there is no need to borrow money from neighbors or friends, you must follow simple, but very important rules.

1 rule. Save some of your income in a piggy bank!

The very first thing to do when the salary arrives is to postpone at least 10% and not spend under any pretext. This is a family capital that will only grow every month.

2 rule. Learn to understand the difference between important expenses and secondary ones.

To do this, make a list of constant expenses (rent, television, Internet, communications, etc.) and some variables (food, gasoline, household chemicals and beauty products, etc.). Place all of this in order of importance - from the most important to those that can be dispensed with.

3 rule. Be sure to leave a certain amount for unforeseen (5-10%) and planned expenses.

This refers to purchases that are not constant or variable, but are also required this month. An example would be buying gifts.

This "extra" money can be spent on expenses from the "want" category.

5 rule. Adhere to a policy of economy and cost optimization.

This means that you need to get rid of unnecessary waste and learn how to purchase goods for less money. For this, sales or promotions are perfect, as well as giving up bad habits - the main eaters of the family budget.

How to save your family budget on groceries?

Food takes the lion's share of all income. And a decrease in prices for them is not expected in the near future. Therefore, it is worth learning how to save on this expense item. You can start from the very first trip to the store.

1. A pre-made grocery list can save you hard earned money. Well, if the family has a developed menu for a week, then it will not be difficult to schedule the necessary purchases.
2. If you buy food immediately for a week, you can avoid unplanned expenses.
3. Children should not be taken to shopping, as this may entail additional off-list costs.
4. A good reason to save money is to refuse semi-finished products. They are more expensive than self-prepared meals. By the way, this also applies to sliced ​​bread with sausage.
5. It is a good habit to look at the lower shelves in stores. It is there that, as a rule, the cheapest goods are located.

The correct "policy" in the kitchen will also help to save money. Each season has its own dishes - for example, in winter, you can refuse salad from fresh cucumbers and tomatoes in favor of cabbage and carrots.

And expensive trout can be replaced with pink salmon, no less tasty, but inexpensive. You can turn your attention to offal, they are as nutritious as meat, but much cheaper.

Preparing food for future use can become a good habit for the hostess. For example, greens, if cut and frozen, will lie perfectly in this form for some time and will always be able to delight with their freshness.

The same can be done with vegetables, berries and homemade dumplings and cutlets. It is always convenient to get a homemade semi-finished product and make dinner from it.

Sometimes you can find budget recipes online that you can save for yourself and include in your weekly menu. This is another reason to look at thematic sites and please your household with new dishes. For the same purpose, culinary programs may also be suitable.

And the most important rule that will help you not to waste your money is the proper storage of food in the refrigerator. Throw away spoiled food in a timely manner, put raw and ready meals in separate containers with lids, and separate meat, vegetables and various sausages in special compartments of the refrigerator. These simple principles will help you save food for longer and save your family budget.

How to save your family budget using programs?

In the era of the rapid development of various modern devices, you can choose an excellent assistant in maintaining your home budget in the form of a ready-made service - Drebedengi, Finance PM or another. It is more convenient if the selected option will have not only a website, but also a mobile application that is always at hand.

How can you save your family budget with a home computer? There are free programs, such as "Home Finance 1.0.2.10" or "DomFin", and paid ones - Family 11, AceMoney, MoneyTracker and others.

It is very convenient to conduct accounting with their help, since you do not need to invent something and perform a lot of manipulations. And if you have constant access to the Internet, everything becomes much easier if you use the mobile version of such an application.

If incomes turned out to be less than expenses, you need to learn how to control both. In order not to switch to crackers and water at the end of the month, you should get into the habit of sorting out your budget on the shelves and keeping track of all purchases.

Saving the family budget can be different. In a new article, we have analyzed 17 working methods. For convenience, we have divided the tips into categories: food, technology, health, entertainment, savings. You can read the entire article or jump straight to the category that interests you.

Food

1. Make shopping lists. The main thing is to try to strictly follow it in the store. If you remember something already in the process - hold back and add it to your next shopping list. Of course, if this is not the product that you really need today. This will discipline and teach you to plan each trip to the store more clearly and thoughtfully.

2. Shop at markets and wholesalers. Find out where the nearest market is. Calculate how much you will spend on the road to it. Compare the prices and quality of the products. If the result of the calculations is in favor of the markets, you can safely plan such purchases once a week.

3. Make a menu for 1-2 weeks. This will help you waste less food. Remember that the average Russian throws about a quarter of the food they buy in the trash can. For motivation, you can roughly calculate how much money you throw away each month.

4. Make blanks. If you love to cook, try to do it not just once, but for future use. Stick dumplings, roll cucumbers, boil jam, lecho, stew. Such blanks are much cheaper than store-bought ones, tastier than them, and certainly more useful.

5. Cut back on take-away drinks. Get in the habit of taking a thermos of your favorite tea or coffee with you. This will take care not only of your wallet, but also of nature.

6. Go to the store less often. It is better to make large and infrequent purchases than small and frequent ones. This way you minimize travel expenses and, most importantly, reduce the risks of accidental purchases. Because, despite point # 1, most people find it difficult not to buy something extra outside the list.

Technique

7. Think twice before buying any non-basic home appliances. This includes bread makers, sandwich makers, kneaders, yogurt makers, etc. According to statistics, 90% of people use them only in the first month after purchase, and then they completely forget. And if you have accumulated such unnecessary equipment, sell it on Avito.

8. Minimize your phone and internet costs. Update your rates - perhaps there are packages that are more suitable and beneficial for you? Check your subscriptions - apps, media. Does everyone justify the cost of them? Even if you manage to save only 500 rubles, as much as 6,000 rubles will come up in a year.

9. Change the light bulbs to energy efficient ones. An incandescent lamp costs an average of 15 rubles, an energy-saving one - 150 rubles. Ilyich's lamp "burns" 700 kW during its service life. And energy saving - 168 kW. Now let's imagine that the electricity tariff is 3 rubles per 1 kW. It turns out that you will pay 2.1 thousand rubles for the light of one incandescent lamp, and the light of an energy-saving light bulb will cost 504 rubles for the entire period. The benefits are already evident. Now add to it the fact that the service life of an ordinary light bulb is 1,000 hours, and that of an energy-saving light bulb is about 7,000 hours.

10. Calculate all expenses for the car. Traffic jams, rising gasoline prices, insurance, maintenance, repairs ... If you have a family with children who need to be transported to kindergartens and schools, then a personal car, of course, is irreplaceable. But if you live alone, think about whether it would be more profitable to use public transport, taxis and car sharing? Calculate the benefits well and then make a decision.

Health

11. Consider if you need a gym membership. If you are actively using the subscription, then there are no questions. But if you go there once every two weeks or do exclusively on the treadmill, then perhaps you should give it up? After all, you can run in the nearest park. Consider how you can organize regular exercise at home or outdoors. After all, a yoga mat and a pair of dumbbells cost much less than a gym membership.

12. Walk more. So you will save money on transport and improve your health.

13. Limit fast food and sweets. Count how much money you spend on empty, useless food. If the figure surprises you, try to keep your consumption of these foods to a minimum. This means saving both on products and on doctors.

Entertainment

14. Use an e-book. If you love reading and spend tons of money on paper books, consider an e-reader. Also, try not to buy newspapers and magazines unless you need them for work.

15. Train yourself to keep track of not only money, but also time. Find out how much you spend on social networks, aimless surfing the Internet, useless communication, transportation, etc. Perhaps you can cut back on empty activities and carve out 2-3 hours? For this time, you can take a small part-time job.

16. Reduce the frequency of going to cafes and restaurants. If you really love this kind of pastime, put a monthly limit on this category of expenses. And try not to marry him.

Accumulation:

17. Put off every day. If you find it difficult to save 10% of your earnings, you can get into a simpler habit - round up the amount in your wallet every day and save the rest. For example, there are 5,600 rubles left. - 600 rubles. postponed. Remaining 9 200 rubles. - postponed 200 rubles. The same can be done if you are using a card. Just transfer the balance to your savings account.

The article contains many tips to help you save very small amounts. It may seem that some of them are not even worthy of attention. However, let us remind you that it is small regular spending that makes big holes in our wallets. To be convinced of this, it is enough to keep a budget for a few months. If you haven't done so yet -. This is a handy tool that will allow you not only to calculate and analyze spending, but also to plan a budget, calculate loan repayments and save for big goals.

The overwhelming majority of Russians are forced to live in austerity - from paycheck to paycheck. The budget of many families is enough only for the most necessary things: buying food, paying for utilities and a minimal update of their wardrobe. Naturally, it is extremely difficult to postpone for something more serious in such conditions. In such cases, it is useful to know the basic rules of saving - very often a person does not even think about how to use the available budget more profitably. How can you save money? Magazine IQR offers a number of effective solutions that will help the reader to better manage family finances.

Controlling income and expenses - the basis of family budget planning

Can you tell exactly what part of the family budget you spend on food per month? If not, this is already a mistake: control of income and expenses should be mandatory in every family. Of course, counting every hundred rubles if the total income is more than 40-50 thousand is not necessary, but a spread of 5,000 is also not very conducive to savings.

Programs for tracking family income and expenses

To solve such problems, there are a large number of ways: you can keep records in the old fashioned way in a regular notebook, or you can use specialized applications for personal finance accounting for a computer or smartphone. This type of software can be distinguished:

1. For Windows OS: "Home Bookkeeping", "Sanuel Family", "iCash", "Family Budget".
2. For gadgets with Android OS : "Family Budget", "Expence Manager", "AndroMoney", "EasyMoney", "HomeMoney".
3. For iOS gadgets : "Toshl", "Money OK", "My budget", "Shut up and count my money", "Financial Book", "Junk".

Almost all of the listed programs are free and synchronized with a PC.

Where does your money go?

Piggy bank

The easiest way to find out how much money is spent on food each month is to save receipts after each trip to the store. At the end of the month, we simply add up the costs and get the result. Thus, it will be possible to clarify the total amount and find out what exactly (meat, milk, bread, vegetables, and so on) how much money is spent.

• utilities;
• household chemicals;
• hygiene products.

These are irreplaceable types of products that you will have to buy every month: you can hardly do without soap, dishwashing detergents, or do not pay for electricity.

In addition, money may be required for other goods and services:

• visit to the hairdresser;
• visiting the gym or sports section;
• medicines or medical services;
• training (some courses, lessons, seminars);
• renewal of the wardrobe;
• travel by public transport;
• entertainment (visiting cinemas, cafes, excursions);
• car service (washing, maintenance, refueling, parking).

All this should also be taken into account: calculate exactly how much you spend on such services and goods.

Well, the most serious items of expenditure are the following goals:

• buying a property;
• buying a car;
• buying furniture;
• purchase of household appliances;
• repair and finishing works;
• vacation trip;
• starting your own business.

These items should be analyzed separately: determine exactly how much you want to collect. For example, your goal is. It is advisable to estimate by what date it is realistic to do this, and write down how much you need to save every month for this. Now let's talk about how to save on small household items in order to save money for large and really necessary purchases.

How to save money at home - step by step instructions

Piggy bank with coins

About money and payment methods

Over the past few years, people have begun to use less cash and more - plastic cards. This is really convenient - why carry a wallet full of money with you: it takes up more space than a small piece of plastic, and you can lose it irretrievably (while the card will be quickly restored to you), and it can be stolen. However, in terms of economy, it is wiser to use just cash.

1. When you use cash, you know exactly how much money you have with you and that you are limited to that amount (which means you won't spend more than you should).
2. When paying by card, it is more difficult for you to control your expenses: cash is always in sight, and you can find out the amount on the account only in online banking (or by SMS).

Payment by card, however, can be useful in some cases: many banks have partner programs with various stores and companies. When you pay for a purchase (or service) in such companies with a card of a certain bank, you get a discount, bonuses, or a small cashback.

How to reduce food costs

People leave the lion's share of the family budget in stores: in grocery stores, in shopping centers with clothes and cosmetics. Shopping can be a waste of money that can be avoided.

To remember the following:

1. It is not recommended to go to the store on an empty stomach - you will definitely want to buy everything and more.
2. Do not rush into too big discounts, filling your basket: most often they are satisfied with the sale of products that will soon expire. Do not buy too many such goods without looking at the time frame: it is possible that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow they will deteriorate.
3. Visit the grocery markets: the bazaar is almost always cheaper than the grocery store. Feel free to bargain, especially with sellers of meat, dairy products, vegetables and fruits.
4. If you make purchases in the market or at points of spontaneous trading (from sellers who trade “on the board” on the streets), try to do it in the late afternoon, when they are about to close. At this time, it is easier to negotiate a discount, especially if the product is perishable.
5. Do not be guided by top brands: often less promoted and well-known products are in no way inferior in quality to advertised products.
6. Study reviews and ask your friends what they are buying: there are a lot of products on the shelves, and it is possible that products from some unknown manufacturer will be better than those you buy.
7. Long-term storage products (cereals, pasta, tea, sugar, coffee) are most profitable to buy in bulk, at wholesalers or in wholesale stores. When buying a bulk consignment, the price for one package can be 20-30% lower than when buying at retail.
8. Find out about the current bonus programs: some supermarkets give discounts on purchases for a certain amount or offer to issue a customer card with a savings system.
9. In addition to buyer's cards, supermarkets can organize various promotions, for example, on Thursday to make discounts on fish or dairy products. Ask about this too.
10. Make a clear shopping list and take it with you (you can - on paper, you can - in the app on your smartphone). This way you will not forget about the goods you need, and you will know exactly what you need and what is not included in the list, and what is not necessary to buy.
11. Set aside a certain amount of time to go shopping. It is advisable to plan some other activity after this (for example, cooking or resting). This way you will have less time to wander aimlessly between the shelves, which means that you are unlikely to buy something extra.
12. Conduct "marketing research": find out and remember how much it costs in different stores. A supermarket next to the house is convenient, but it is possible that there is a store across the street where groceries are much cheaper.
13. If you often go shopping, take “your” durable bag with you - spending 3 rubles 5 times a week on packaging, you will overpay 720 rubles a year.

Saving the family budget

You can also reconsider when and what you eat.

1. Make a clear menu for the week (or several days). This will save both time (you don't have to think about what to cook every day) and money (you will know in advance how much and what to buy).
2. Prepare meals for several meals. This way you can save both gas and food - not much more ingredients will be consumed for 5-6 servings than for 3-4.
3. To store food, it is better to buy a set of plastic sealed containers: food is stored longer in a tightly closed container, and it is more convenient to store it than in pots.
4. Learn: there are a huge number of dishes that are prepared quickly, from cheap products, and at the same time have a large calorie content.
5. Plan your menu correctly by calculating carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Firstly, it is useful, and secondly, having the right amount of elements, you will not want to eat too much.

Cutting the cost of buying clothes

We do not go to buy clothes every day, but we have to spend a lot of money to update our wardrobe. They can also be shortened:

1. Before you go shopping, make an accurate shopping list.
2. Before going to the store, study and memorize the existing wardrobe. When choosing clothes, immediately think about what you can wear these jeans or a jacket - even if it is attractive in itself, but will not go well with the rest of the outfits - you are unlikely to look beautiful.
3. Try to buy things that differ (at least in color) from those that you already have - so even a small amount of clothes can be combined in different ways.
4. Do not hesitate and do not hesitate to go into second-hand shops. Of course, underpants or socks should be bought there only when absolutely necessary, when there is no money at all. But outerwear - pants, knitwear, shoes, bags and briefcases - is sold in good condition, and the price for it is several times lower than in boutiques.
5. Research clothing prices whenever possible. This can be done when you go to the shopping center for other goods, walk through the clothing rows in the market, see some kind of advertisement on the street or on the Internet, you can ask your friends. This way you will know which cost is real and which is overpriced.
6. Don't forget about the Internet: nowadays you can buy all kinds of clothes via the Internet - from socks to winter jackets. These can be online stores or VKontakte profile groups. There may be more assortment in them than in a regular boutique, and prices are lower.
7. When shopping on the Internet, be sure to be interested in exact measurements - so as not to buy a thing that is not in size. If you have a non-standard figure, it is better not to order things that should fit perfectly: shirts, tight pants, tight T-shirts.
8. Buy the clothes you want. An accidentally noticed promotion or a "text message" sent about discounts can push you to buy a cheap, but not too necessary thing.
9. Shop at the end of the season. Discounts start for winter clothes by the beginning of spring (as well as for summer clothes - at the beginning of autumn).

We reduce utility and household expenses

A penny saves the ruble!

A fairly large amount can be spent on a "communal" monthly, which can also be reduced:

1. If you don't have water and electricity meters yet, install them. Almost always it comes out to pay less on the fact of the services used than at a fixed rate, unless, of course, you have at least as many registered residents in your apartment as there are actually residents.
2. Use energy saving light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs: they use about 50-80% less electricity.
3. Whenever possible, try to wash and cook food at night when there is a reduced electricity tariff (if you have a two-tariff meter).
4. Do not save money when buying windows: a cheap structure will retain heat worse, which means that you will have to use heaters in winter.
5. If your window frames still allow heat to pass through, insulate the apartment: it is better to pay once for this than to pay for the heaters for 4-6 months.
6. Save water: Train yourself to turn off the tap when you brush your teeth or soap. Also, leaks should be immediately eliminated: through a dripping tap, several hundred liters can be wasted per month.

The above tips are best combined with each other. The 500-600 rubles saved per year due to the fact that you will take your package to the store is unlikely to seriously improve the situation. But in the aggregate, such methods can significantly reduce unnecessary spending from the family budget.

Financial well-being is, at first glance, a purely business, and in some way even a slightly pretentious term. But in fact, these two words have a simple meaning. Especially if we use them in the context of the family budget. Many of us often deny ourselves certain purchases, citing the lack of extra funds. And this is true, since the funds in the family are never superfluous.

The easiest way, so that such difficulties do not arise, is to learn how to earn more. But sometimes, due to certain reasons (lack of time, qualifications, caring for children), we really can't do it. Therefore, in order for the money to be enough for everything we need, they just need to be properly distributed. Let's take a step-by-step look at how to save the family budget, doing it correctly and in a balanced way.

How to save your family budget: Learn to count money

This is your first priority. You need to clearly understand how much your family receives each month and how much it spends. Moreover, not only the total amount is important, but also the items of income / expenses, indicating specific numbers for each item. For calculations, take a regular piece of paper, write on it "Saving your home budget: tips" and in a separate column indicate your salary, social. payments, income from deposits, renting out real estate, etc. Further, in the next column, in the same way, list where you are spending money.

Typically, the cost bar looks like this:

• Food (for home cooking);
• Housing rent (for those who rents living space);
• Housing and communal services;
• Transport costs (public or fuel for your car);
• Internet and mobile communications;
• Going to cafes and restaurants;
• Clothes and footwear;
• Large purchases (household appliances, electronic devices, etc.);
• Sports and outdoor activities;
• Other entertainment.

Separately write down the item "unplanned expenses" and be ready to allocate the specified amount if any.

The described principle is used in today's popular board game called Cash Flow. The game itself is tacitly considered one of the best ways to practice financial management, learn how to plan your income and expenses, and ultimately create a cash flow that will allow you to live comfortably and for your own pleasure. Special attention is paid to investment issues, which we will talk about later.

But, if we are learning to save the family budget, at the initial stage it is important to master the planning and cost control itself. And maintain financial discipline by spending as much money as you can afford. So that the totals for the columns "Income" and "Expenses" are at least the same. And ideally - so that the total figure in the first exceeds that in the list of costs.

IMPORTANT! If you see that by the end of the month you are going beyond the available spending limit, look for how to save the budget for a specific item. Naturally, not at the expense of health and comfort. The question should be posed as follows - What from the list can we, as a family, do without? This can be understood by assessing which of the already actually committed costs were mandatory and which were not. Conventionally - if you once again, instead of having lunch at home, popped into a restaurant during a break, try to avoid it next time.

Saving on mandatory costs should be the last thing. Since it is they who make up your basis for the family budget. Understand that the main thing is to learn how to cut EXTRA expenses.

Ways to save the family budget. When exactly to spend?

On this score, there is a double opinion. Some experts in the field of personal and family finance say that all mandatory spending should be made as soon as possible after receiving the main income (salary, pension, etc.). After you buy and pay for what is included in your main monthly list, you will have a limited amount on your hands, with which you won’t go too far. Thus, it will be easier for you to resist unnecessary temptations, knowing that there are not so many funds left.

But there is another point of view on this issue. If you don't have enough willpower, the relatively large amount you get can turn your head a little. And then, along with the obligatory expenses, those that could not have been imperceptibly slipped through if you had postponed the main purchases to a later period. But here we again come back to the issue of financial control. "Remember, the main thing is discipline" - with these words in the movie "Back to the Future-3" the dying sheriff turned to his son. And although this scene was cut in the final version of the film, its essence and importance did not change from this. Discipline is one of the most important parts of our life. And especially - its financial part.

How to save your budget - write everything down!

In contracts, agreements and other business documents, content is usually presented in the form of lists. And these lists contain not only the main sections, but also sub-clauses that clarify or correct the general essence. The ways of saving the family budget in this regard are no different. In addition to the main list, we recommend making additional ones - those with which you go, for example, to the grocery store. Made up - try not to go beyond the scope of this list, buy only what is indicated in it. And even better - take with you strictly the amount that came out according to the results of preliminary calculations.

Do not forget to draw up discount and discount cards. Study the offers from banks, today the cashback tool is very popular - a partial refund for the purchased goods.

Take products with a long shelf life as much as possible in bulk. But never go for a low price! Remember, we are not rich enough to buy ourselves cheap things. The exception is seasonal sales, for example, for winter shoes in early spring. Use such promotions, but, again, do not make spontaneous purchases, but plan the purchase in advance. And low cost is good only if it does not compromise quality. Often, products of an unfamiliar brand with the same composition as an expensive analogue of a promoted brand may cost less simply because you are not overpaying for the brand.

Advice - The morning of the evening is wiser. If at the sight of any thing your eyes burn and you think that you definitely need it, try to cancel the purchase right now and transfer it a day later. Tomorrow you will be able to assess the situation with a sober head - do you really need this product so much? According to statistics, more than half of the “rash” purchases turn out to be unnecessary, taking their place of honor somewhere on the farthest shelf of the dresser.

Never go grocery shopping if you are hungry. Otherwise, you will want to sweep everything off the store shelves.

As a consumer, it is important for you to avoid becoming the so-called “victim of marketers” in the shopping process. All kinds of 2 + 1 promotions are worth your attention only if you planned to buy the goods to which they apply before you came to the store. In other cases, you need to show resistance to this and other marketing techniques, avoiding unnecessary spending. And in no case should you provoke these expenses yourself! Even if you are a "girl who wants a dress." First of all, you are an adult, not a child, and all your whims and desires should be driven through the "sieve" of rationality.

Willpower is also useful for giving up bad habits. Excluding cigarettes and alcohol from your shopping list are good ways to save your family budget. And it will simply have a beneficial effect on your health.

How you can save your family budget. Utilities tariffs

The growth of payments for housing and communal services is one of the main articles of inflation in modern conditions. It is possible to survive it painlessly, the European experience will help us in this. The inhabitants of the Old World, not spoiled by socialism, learned how to use resources competently long ago, and the methods they have chosen for this do not carry anything complicated.

Here is some of them:

1. Buy household appliances with a higher energy efficiency class. The most economical products are designated as "A" class.
2. Do not forget to turn off the lights in rooms where you do not need it at the moment. Use floor lamps, table lamps, if you do not need to illuminate the entire room. Buy energy saving light bulbs.
3. Supply counters. With their help, you will pay only for the actually consumed volume of the resource. And not for those fictitious figures that are unreasonably included in the "average" tariff.
4. Do not run products at full power when not required. This applies in particular to refrigerators and heating heaters.
5. Install additional appliances to help save money. A conventional aerator on a mixer or a time switch in the long run will help you reduce resource consumption. This is a kind of investment for the future, which, having paid off, will begin to bring additional “profit” in the form of saved funds. And also get used to the fact that resources in principles are important and need to be saved. The included tap with water hardly creates any special atmosphere in the process of brushing the tooth.
6. v. So, with a clear conscience, you can screw it on. And household appliances, instead of paused, it is better to fully disconnect from the outlet.

In such an expense item as housing and communal services, all those principles that we talked about earlier are relevant. Looking at a payment, you need to clearly understand on which of its points you could save in the first place. Even small sums for using a landline telephone for a year can give a figure of several hundred, or even thousands of rubles. Do you really need this city phone when today everyone has a personal mobile phone?

Travel and transport

Those who have their own car should cultivate a "logistician" in themselves. Think over your route so that you do not have to make hooks in order to stop by the store or take your child to school. All intermediate destinations must be on the way to the final point of the trip. This will save both time and fuel consumption for the machine.

And if you are going on vacation, prepare for it in advance. Including financially. Set aside a certain monthly amount for the upcoming "voyage" and regularly study promotions from airlines and rental services. Early booking sometimes allows you to save up to 50% or more on the total cost of the flight or accommodation.

The key word is "family"

Since we are talking about how you can save your family budget, it is worthwhile to understand that this concept includes exactly the total money. Those that belong to all family members. Even if there is an agreement that only one person will manage the finances. It is necessary to respect the right of other family members to purchase for this money something specifically for themselves, the same personal hygiene products, etc.

We are learning to save the family budget. 6 pitcher method

A great way to manage your family budget, simple, like everything ingenious. If desired, the jugs can be replaced with boxes or envelopes, the essence of this will not change.

The main thing is to fill the "vessels" in proportion to your income and not use money from one jug to cover the needs of another. In practice, it looks like this:

Pitcher # 1 - daily expenses (55% of the money received)

Food, clothing, travel, utility bills, etc. everyday costs.

Pitcher # 2 - entertainment (10%)

A trip to a cafe, cinema or sauna is all that you need for emotional relaxation. But without fanaticism! Remember the mandatory and optional spending.

Pitcher # 3 - savings (10%)

IMPORTANT! This jug should be filled first. Understand one truth for yourself - part of the money you earn (in this case, 10%) belongs to you. Set them aside immediately upon receipt, henceforth using only the remaining 90%.

Pitcher # 4 - Large or unexpected purchases (10%)

Large purchases include household appliances, electronics, etc. things. If you have separate funds to purchase them, this will save you from unnecessary loans and teach you to value the purchased item itself. After all, this way you will remember how and how much you saved up for it, as opposed to a loan, when, in fact, you spend the money you have not yet earned, in fact, someone else's.

If large purchases are not planned, money from this jug can be saved for a rainy day, when you may need it suddenly.

Pitcher # 5 - gifts (10%)

Everything related to the holidays. To please friends and loved ones with gifts is a pleasant activity, but it requires money. It will be convenient if you can direct the accumulated funds separately for this expense item. But it can also happen that you completely forget about the imminent birthday of a friend. But when he invites you, thanks to jug # 5, there will be no problems with buying a gift.

Pitcher # 6 - improving and developing (5%)

Courses, trainings, going to the pool or gym - everything that contributes to your mental and physical development. You cannot do without all this, here "either or". Either you develop or you degrade. In the same jug, money is also kept for children - their visits to sections, tutors, etc.

The 6 Pitcher Method is great because it teaches you how to allocate funds clearly. With its help, we know exactly how much and on what we can spend. At the same time, you have the right to adjust the percentage for each of the jugs yourself, the figures given are just an example that is not required for implementation.

Fathers and Sons. Ways to save the family budget

You cannot save on children - this is an axiom. But only if you take this expression literally. In fact, you can save your household budget on children's purchases without prejudice and even for the benefit of the child himself! So, puree from natural fruits and vegetables will be much more useful for the child's body than store mix in bright packaging. And reusable diapers in the long run will cost you less than disposable ones.

In addition, the resources of joint purchases, the main audience of which are young mothers, will help to save money. Cooperate and buy goods with discounts, as we have already said, it will be just an ordinary wholesale, in which the quality of the goods will not suffer at all.
Young children do not have to take expensive items from the categories that the child will soon outgrow. Look for the best value for money first.

Advice: Teach your child from childhood to the value of money. If at the moment you do not have the financial ability to buy his favorite toy, explain this by giving a reason. Do not just refuse, otherwise the baby may feel hurt. Better yet, stimulate him. For example, tell him that he will get a new robot if he helps you wash the dishes. An exaggerated example, the main thing is that the child, at an early age, begins to understand that in life we ​​get everything thanks to our own work. It sounds corny, but, nevertheless, it is true.

Savings in and of themselves are of no benefit if you don't use the saved funds to good use. What is the point of saving if the money goes to a trip to a restaurant, which you previously refused, in order, in fact, to save. The main principle of material well-being is that money should work for you. So that their "team" is constantly growing and expanding. The book "The Richest Man in Babylon" tells about this in more detail, where the author, on behalf of the heroes, introduces us to the laws of preserving and increasing money. In this book, as in the described method of 6 jugs, it is recommended to save 10% of income and, moreover, invest.

The family is a miniature state: it has a head, an advisor, " subsidized population», Income and expense items. Planning, distribution and sequestration ( familiar words?) the family budget is an important task. How to save and save without going on a hungry ration? - Establish a table of accounting of funds coming to the family and revise the structure of payments.

• Money Is one of the greatest man-made tools. They can buy freedom, experience, entertainment and everything that makes life more comfortable. But they can be wasted, spent nowhere, and wasted senselessly.

Legendary American actor of the early twentieth century Will Rogers said:

"Too many people spend money on things they don't need to impress people they don't like."

Have your income been less than your expense over the past few months? Yes? Then you are not alone, but in a big company. The problem is, it's not a very good company. Debts, loans, interest and late payments are snowballing ... it's time to jump out of the sinking boat!

Why do you need to maintain a family budget

“Money is just a tool. They will lead you where you want, but they will not replace you as a driver. ”Ayn Rand, a Russian-born writer who emigrated to the States, learned from her own experience the need to plan and budget her own finances.

Unconvincing? Here three good reasons start planning your family budget:

1. Family budgeting can help you figure out long-term goals and work in a given direction. If you drift aimlessly, tossing money on every attractive item, how can you save money and go on a long-awaited vacation, buy a car, or make a down payment on a mortgage?
2. Family budget expenditure table sheds light on spontaneous spending and forces you to rethink your buying habits. Do you really need 50 pairs of black high heels? Family budgeting forces you to prioritize and reorient yourself towards achieving your goals.
3. Illness, divorce, or job loss can lead to a serious financial crisis. Emergencies happen at the most inopportune moment. That is why everyone needs a reserve fund. The structure of the family budget necessarily includes the column " saving"- a financial pillow that will help you stay afloat from three to six months.

How to properly distribute the family budget

A few of the rules of thumb for family budgeting, which we will present here, can serve as a rough guideline for making decisions. Everyone's situation is different and constantly changing, but the basic principles will serve as a good starting point.

The 50/20/30 rule

Elizabeth and Amelia Warren, authors of the book “ All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan" (in translation " All Your Wealth: The Ultimate Money Plan for Life») Describe a simple yet effective method of budgeting.

Rather than breaking down household spending into 20 different categories, they recommend dividing the budget structure into three main components:

• 50% of income should cover basic expenses such as paying for housing, taxes and buying groceries;
• 30% - optional expenses: entertainment, going to a cafe, cinema, etc .;
• 20% goes to pay off loans and debts, and is also set aside as a reserve.

The 80/20 rule

Step 2: determine the income and expenses of the family budget

It's time to look at the structure of the family budget. Start by making a list of all sources of income: salary, alimony, pensions, part-time jobs, and other options for receiving money for the family.

Expenses include everything you spend your money on.

Divide spending into fixed and variable payments. Fill in the variable and fixed cost fields in the family budgeting spreadsheet based on your own experience. Detailed instructions on how to work with the excel file in the next chapter.

In allocating the budget, it is necessary to take into account the size of the family, housing conditions and the desires of all members of the “social unit”. A short list of categories is already included in the sample table. Consider the cost categories that will be needed to further refine the structure.

Income structure

As a rule, the income column includes:

• the salary of the head of the family (marked as "husband");
• the salary of the chief advisor ("wife");
• interest on deposits;
• pension;
• social benefits;
• part-time work (private lessons, for example).

Expense graph

Expenses are divided into fixed, that is, unchanged: fixed tax payments; home, car and health insurance; constant amounts for the Internet and TV. This also includes those 10 - 20% that need to be postponed for emergencies and a "rainy day".

Variable cost graph:

• products;
• medical service;
• spending on a car;
• clothes;
• payment for gas, electricity, water;
• personal expenses of the spouses (entered and planned separately);
• seasonal spending on gifts;
• school and kindergarten fees;
• entertainment;
• expenses for children.

Depending on your desire, you can supplement, concretize the list or shorten it by enlarging and combining cost items.

Step 3: track spending throughout the month

It is unlikely that it will be possible to draw up a table of the family budget now; it is necessary to find out where and in what proportions the money goes. It will take one to two months. Start adding expenses to the ready-made excel spreadsheet, which you can download for free, gradually adjusting the categories " for yourself».

Below you will find detailed explanations for this document, since this excel includes several interconnected tables at once.

• The purpose of this step is to get a clear idea of ​​your financial situation, visually see the structure of expenses and, in the next step, adjust the budget.

Step 4: separate needs from wants

When people start to write down their spending, they find that there is a lot of money. " flies away"On completely unnecessary things. Impulse, unplanned expenses seriously hit the pocket, if the level of income is not so great that a couple - another thousand go unnoticed.

Refuse to buy until you are sure that the thing is extremely necessary for you. Wait a few weeks. If it turns out that you really cannot live without the desired item, then this is indeed a necessary waste.

A little advice: Put credit and debit cards aside. Use cash to learn how to save. It is psychologically easier to part with virtual amounts than to count out pieces of paper.

How to properly plan a family budget in the table

Now you know what is really going on with your money.

Take a look at the categories of expenses that you want to reduce and create your own plan using the free excel spreadsheet.

Many people do not like the word " budget”, Because they believe that these are restrictions, deprivations and lack of entertainment. Relax A personalized spending plan will allow you to live within your means, avoid stress and sleep better, rather than pondering how to get out of debt.

“An annual income of £ 20 and an annual expense of £ 19.06 leads to happiness. An income of £ 20 and an expense of £ 20.6 lead to suffering, ”Charles Dickens's ingenious note reveals the basic law of planning.

Enter your finished family budget into the spreadsheet

You have set goals, determined income and expenses, decided how much you will save monthly for emergencies, andfigured out the difference between needs and desires. Take another look at the budget sheet in the spreadsheet and fill in the empty columns.

The budget is not static figures fixed once and for all. You can always correct it if necessary. For example, you planned to spend 15 thousand monthly on products, but after a couple of months you noticed that you are spending only 14 thousand. Add additions to the table - redirect the saved amount to the "savings" column.

How to plan a budget with irregular income

Not everyone has a full-time job with regular salary payments. This does not mean that you cannot create a budget; but that means you have to plan in more detail.

• One strategy is to calculate the average income over the past few years and focus on this figure.
• Second way- Determine for yourself a stable salary from your own income - what you will live on, and put the surplus on an insurance account. In lean months, the account balance will decrease by exactly the missing amount. But your "salary" will remain unchanged.
• Third planning option- maintain two budget tables in parallel: for " good" and " bad»Months. It is somewhat more complicated, but nothing is impossible. The danger that lies in wait for you along the way: people spend and take out loans, expecting income from the best months. If the black streak drags on a bit, the funnel will eat up both current and future income.

Below you will find solutions on how to distribute the family budget according to the table.

After we have decided on the main goals, let's try to distribute the family budget for a month, indicate current income and expenses in the table, in order to properly manage funds, to be able to save for the main goals, without missing current and daily necessities.

Open the second sheet “ Budget”And fill in the fields of monthly income, annual income, and the program will calculate the totals itself, for example:

The columns “ variable costs" and " fixed costs»Enter the estimated numbers. Add new items where " other", In the place of unnecessary names, write your own:

Now go to the tab of the month from which you decided to start saving and planning family expenses. On the left, you will find the columns in which you need to fix the purchase date, select a category from the drop-down list and make a mark.

• Additional notes are very convenient to refresh your memory and clarify what exactly the money was spent on, if necessary.

The data that is entered in the table for example, just delete and write your own:

To keep track of expenses and incomes by month, we suggest looking at the table on the third sheet in our Excel “ This year“, This table is filled in automatically based on your expenses and income, summarizes and gives an idea of ​​your success:

And on the right there will be a separate table that will automatically summarize all expenses for the year:

Nothing complicated. Even if you have never tried to master working with Excel tables, highlighting the desired cell and entering numbers is all that is required.

Poll: How old are you?