Making sure all your family members get to school, work, and all the soccer practices and swimming lessons in-between can leave you exhausted and feeling like you’re struggling to stay on pace. It might feel like it’s impossible to find time to keep track of your family budget and plan.
It doesn’t have to be that hard.
There are many resources out there to help busy families manage their money even if they’re struggling with debt.
Families might need a little help making ends meet as they find their stride in regular money management. If you’re wondering how to borrow money fast, a short-term loan from GoDay (which can be done entirely online) can be a reliable way to cover emergencies as they might come up. On top of short-term loans, here are some strategies to manage your family budget even as life is at its most demanding.
Get Your Family Budget Organized
With a busy schedule and different needs for each family member, being organized will make a huge impact. The right amount of organization can also help you avoid turning to payday loans unless absolutely needed.
Work with your spouse or children to collect and compile bills, pay stubs, bank statements, and receipts. Then set aside a couple of hours to sort and total how your income and expenses align on a month-to-month basis.
The goal is to have a comprehensive understanding of what is coming in and what is going out. Plus knowing how things like long-standing debt and loan repayment fit into that.
Meal Planning
You can make the most of your grocery budget and save money by preparing your meals in advance. Taking the time to plan out your meals before the week begins will help you shop smarter and avoid unplanned buys like takeout that end up taking a big chunk out of your food budget.
Start by starting out with a meal planning sheet or calendar. Make your meal planning unique and specific to your style: maybe you like to use a color-coded planner or sticky notes on a wall calendar. Just organize yourself in a way that makes sense to you.
Before you start meal planning, look at what you already have in your fridge and pantry. What needs to be eaten soon? Use those ingredients as a starting point for your meal preparation.
Go through the flyers of your local grocery stores and stock up on main-attraction foods like proteins and veggies that are on sale. Stick to the plan when you’re shopping.
The process of strategically buying and cooking in advance to save time on busy weekends might take some adjusting but it gets easier with time. Once you start to see your savings, you’ll be telling everyone you know to plan their meals, too.
Try Using Software to Keep Track of Your Family Budget
One of the best ways to streamline your family budget is through the use of budgeting software. You can find software that automatically imports your bank and credit card activity to save time. It can even reduce error in tracking your expenses.
It’s a minor time commitment but it’s worth the work. You want your accounts to be secure and your information protected, right? Once you’ve set it up, you’ll always have a resource available to help you see where you’re at. This will help make sure your family budget is on track for the long haul!
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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Organization is definitely key, I used to be a mess of receipts and lost bills. I finally got a good organizer/planner to get on track as I’m not computer savvy enough yet to manage that way. Meal prep is the one big change I want to make. I feel it’ll make life easier andc healthier all while saving.
What’s the name of your planner?
My husband set a family budget several years ago and thank goodness! I was a spending machine fool…sigh. Now we have a savings and vacation fund! We live off of cash and take a certain amount out each month. We have envelopes (well, they are really cosmetic bags with zippers to last longer) and each one has the cash for that pay period. When that cash is gone, that’s all the spending!
What a great idea! And good for you for recognizing your spending issues, that takes a lot of courage! 🙂
This is something I have always had a hard time dealing with and getting into. I say i’m
going to do better and I always fall flat or short of my goals. I know I still need to keep at it even though I am always kicking myself in the butt.
@tisonlyme143
Money management skills are important for families of all types. I wish you the best of luck in your goals!
I have the Boxclever Press Budget Book and for a but of fun motivation I also bought one called Get Sh*t Done. It’s quite fun which I really like. The Boxclever was an Amazon best seller and I’m very happy with it so far.
Thanks for sharing! I love to find a good budget book! It’s good to find tools that help to motivate us. 🙂
I really want to work harder on meal planning this year. I’m terrible at keeping up with it, but we’ve had some unexpected expenses come up for this year and we’re going to have to pull strings to make ends meet. Thanks for sharing!
Meal planning is great for those times when your budget is extra tight. It really helps to keep your food bill under control. Good luck!