Just about everybody knows that a disciplined budget is vital to reaching your financial goals ? but recent studies show that less than half of us have one. For many, the process is the problem. Keeping track of spending seems too daunting to start, or the regular upkeep becomes too much of a hassle to continue. If that describes you, try one or all of these 20 budgeting tips to simplify keeping track of your financial in-and-out.
1. Automate Bill Pay
Use automatic bill pay from your bank to take that task off your plate.?
2. Track Spending
Manage your money online via bank and credit card portals, instead of using a paper register.
3. Assign Categories
Create a small handful of expense categories, rather than detailed tracking for spending.
4. Opt for Cash
Use cash for discretionary spending. It?s one line in the budget, and when it?s gone ? it?s?gone.
5. Schedule Reviews
Make time for a 10-minute review session once a week. Don?t think about it the rest of the time.
6. Create a Payment Day
Set aside one day a month to pay all non-automatic bills.
7. Make a Spreadsheet
Use simple software, like a spreadsheet, to track expenses.
8. Budget Online
Sign up with an online budget service to keep all information in one place.
9. Sharing is Caring
Share your budget information with family members.
10. Cut Down your Accounts
Minimize the number of your accounts, even if it means giving up some rewards.
11. Ditch your Card
Use one or zero credit cards, and only for emergencies.
12. Build a Fund
Set aside a 5% contingency fund, so you don?t have to abandon your budget in emergencies.
13. Budget Wisely
Stick with your budget for at least six months. Stop reinventing the wheel every quarter.
14. Increase your Net Worth
Devote half of bonus or ?found money? to building wealth. Ditto for pay raises.
15. Round Numbers
Ease up on exact math by rounding up for expenses, and down for income.
16. Install Apps
Investigate mobile apps to sync your daily spending with your budget plan.
17. Kill your Debt
Proactively ridding yourself of debt saves money and reduces the number of accounts you need to service.
18. Go Paperless
Rely on electronic tracking for your receipts.
19. Trim your Subscriptions
Eliminate subscriptions you don?t use every month, and look forward to using.
20. Hire a Tax Pro
In most cases, tax professionals pay for themselves by spotting deductions you missed.
Source: http://pawngo.com/blog/personal-finance/the-zen-of-budgeting
Lorenzo Lamas Treyvon Martin casey anthony cory monteith al sharpton george zimmerman Pacific Rim
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