The Easy Way to Make a Budget

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Remember, money management begins with a realistic assessment of your financial status. See my earlier post here: More Money - The Basics.

It's time to make sure your budget is realistic, and if you don't have a budget then you need to make one.

Budgeting and sticking to the budget is critical to money management. The most successful budget will be the one you make for yourself - only you know what you are realistically willing to do and not do. By all means, get advice. And another opinion of someone you trust is always helpful to give you ideas. But be honest with yourself about your priorities. After all, it is your money that you're spending.

If you are not familiar with budgeting software (are there are tons), start with Microsoft Excel. You are just entering what money comes in and what money goes out - categories and amounts. Excel makes it easy to increase and decrease numbers in each category to see how you can get a better result.

This is a great post I happened upon: How to Make a Budget in 10 Easy Steps

It's a worthwhile read on how to make a budget - easily!

Great Slidehow of Money Saving Tips from Oprah.com

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Click here: Money Saving Tips from Thrifty Families

This is a quick slideshow of great tips on Oprah.com featuring CNBC's Dylan Ratigan, and loads of ideas from people who are finding ways to save more money. Everything from budgeting, coupons, money management, discipline in spending, some do-it-yourself around the house, utilities, alternative vacations - such as going to the beach etc. There are also stories of people helping other people, and how Google can help you find deals and free"stuff" in your neighborhood.

When I read "going to the beach" as being thrifty, I thought how often so many of us don't consider a vacation to be a vacation unless we have gone on a plane shopping somewhere. If you do want a vacation, Jamaicans - why don't we try vacationing right here and supporting the local tourism industry - any realistic budget does have entertainment provisions. :)



If you do watch Oprah's show, Tuesday's show is entitled "The Thriftiest Family in America"