Family Budget: Emergency Funds And Budgeting Tools
Amanda Maseko
When one has no emergency fund, one can be obliged to acquire debt on your credit card that might take several years to repay with interest that would later cost so much more.
One can and should budget and allocate the extra money for emergency fund, as this is very significant when one refers to his "financial future". Here, the goal is to create savings from budgeting your income; the emergency savings should ideally be equal to at least three months your living expenditures.
Budgeting is putting or setting aside money for anticipated and unanticipated future use. It is here that one sets up a goal so as to save. So set an emergency fund as your goal.
Checking, savings, money market accounts and "certificates of deposits", are great places to keep one's cash that might be needed on quick notice.
Keep them handy: budgeting tools that work
Various budgeting programs are available for use. Money management programs provide you with a usual package that allows you to enter your cash inflows and outflows, categorizes your expenditures, and at times, presents to you analysis of your spending behavior. Through these programs you can also input the various payments you have to make monthly, and subsequently track if you've paid your dues on time. Moreover, some programs also offer you a tax form draft that will help you make sure you're not missing out on any dues or any deductibles, for that matter.
Lists-whether on a piece of paper, on your cellular phone, or on your personal digital assistant (PDA) will help you keep focused on what you have to buy, and in effect, keep track of the purchases you make. A classic example is your regular grocery trip. Prior to making the trip, plan out the week's entire menu and identify what food items and materials you need to purchase that are unavailable in your pantry. Then, make a list of other household items that you've run out of (or are eventually going to run out of before you can make the next trip to the grocery). Armed with these lists, you can go to the grocery and know exactly where to go and what you're going to buy. Without these lists, you will walk idly along aisles, and will likely pick up various food items that you won't likely need in the immediate future, or already have at home.
You would want to take note of where your money usually goes. This includes bills, major but regular purchases (like grocery costs, healthcare costs, and the like), and everyday miscellaneous purchases. Only when you list down where you know your money usually goes, will you be able to identify which expenses you can do without. Once you've identified these regular expenditures, take into consideration what you can cut back on. How much do you spend on your daily caffeine fix in the morning? How much do you spend on newspaper deliveries to your front door? The measly $2 or $5 of these small purchases cumulatively translates to more than $3600 a year! Instead of buying your expensive latte or reading the newspaper on print, put aside the amount you would usually pay for these small routine purchases in a small container. You will be surprised at how much you're saving out of your older budget.
The bottom line is that saving is not just a way of life or a resolution. It's the ultimate gratification that you get as a fruit of your labor
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