For years, my husband and I struggled to save money. We would go over the bills, plan out a budget and then slowly slip back into our old habits. Resentment started to build and it was easier to keep our heads in the sand and avoid another argument. Something had to change. We wanted better for ourselves and our future. After many attempts, we now have a plan for managing a home budget that works for us.
How we are Managing a Home Budget
- Make a list of all the bills. Look back three months to get a good grasp on what they are.
- Subtract the bills, gas and grocery expenses from the monthly income. The remaining balance determines what you can afford to put into savings.
- Set up the checking account to transfer money into a savings account after every pay day.
- Coordinate due dates with pay periods. As soon as a paycheck shows up in the checking account, pay whatever bills were allocated to that pay check. Don’t let that money sit there. It’s too tempting.
- Check the account balance daily
- Hold each other accountable for sticking to the budget.
- Weekly check ins. Discuss any upcoming expenses or discrepancies.
Help Each Other Meet Your Goals
Give each other grace as you adjust to the budget. Not knowing where the money was going made us both feel so helpless and frustrated. Weekly check ins reduced our stress and kept us both aware of the expenses that week. Try to pick a time to go over the weekly check ins when you can relax and pay attention. Praise each other when you pay off a bill or save extra money that month. Help each other find solutions in areas where it is tempting to overspend. Even little things like packing a snack for the drive home can make a difference if your spouse consistently stops at the vending machine because he is too hungry to wait until he gets home. At the end of the month, that can add up.
There are still lean periods when unexpected expenses pop up. The difference is now we work through them together instead of arguing over them. It may take several attempts before you figure out what works best for you. Hang in there. It will all be worth it.
