My Picks for budgeting resources

When it comes to managing your household finances, there’s nothing more useful than a regularly-updated budget. There’s also nothing more difficult to monitor – or stick to.

To help you out, here are a few online resources to peruse:

  1.    Simplifying your budgeting approach.
Part of the reason budgets don’t work is because they require too much effort. In this article on the website doughroller.net, the author – who admits to failing at attempts to use budgeting software and the envelope method – walks you through his simplified approach to budgeting. Basically, it involves focusing on your problem areas – something most of us are more than aware of – and finding ways to curb them.

http://www.doughroller.net/personal-finance/a-simple-approach-to-budgeting/

2.    Track your spending.
If you’re not aware of your household’s problem areas, it’s time to track your spending. This can be relatively easy if you use debit as your primary form of payment, because most of your transactions should be available online. If you’re more of a cash person, you may want to download this simple (but convenient) weekly expense record and keep it in your wallet. Track your expenses for a month – or more, if you can manage it.

http://www.foxway.com/weekly_exp_record.html

3.    Online budgeting tools.
If you have the patience to set up an online budgeting tool, they can be extremely helpful in helping you stick to your budget. Many of them link to your online bank accounts, so you can see exactly where your money is going. While Quicken is one of the most popular forms of accounting software out there, you may also what to try:

You Need a Budget
http://www.youneedabudget.com/

Mint
https://www.mint.com