Every Household Should Have a Budget - Step 2
Step 2 of Kathy Sheehan's budget process provides four rules that can have a positive impact on the budgeting process. She also gives the reader nine broad expense categories to apply to the expenses recorded in Step 1. With the current inflation we are experiencing in food, utility and fuel costs, I suspect that many budgets will need to alter some of the percentages by borrowing from another category.
Every Household Should Have a Budget - Step 2. In the Getting Started blog, you were tasked with tracking all of your expenses for a month. Now that you have started pulling the information together you know when, where and how much you are spending. Was it a surprise? For most it is.
Now that you have an overview of what you are currently spending on a monthly basis, it is time to make some tough decisions and change some habits. Here are a few rules that will help get you on track:
- Rule #1.....DO NOT SPEND MORE THAN YOU EARN!
- Rule #2 .... PUT THE CREDIT CARDS AWAY
- Rule #3....SAVING IS NOT AN OPTION
- Rule #4.... Follow these guidelines to determine what you should spend
- Your housing expenses should be no more than 30% of your income
- Your savings should be 10% of your income
- Your utilities should be 3-4% of your income
- Your food 15-20% of your income
- Medical 5%
- Clothing 2-4%
- Transportation 5-20%
- Debt payments 15-20%
- Miscellaneous 5-10%
Now keep in mind the more you spend in one category will limit the amount you can spend in another.
To check out the other blogs in this series, please click below:
Every Household Should Have a Budget - Getting Started
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Kathleen Sheehan
Sr. Mortgage Consultant
NMLS #206275
Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #25839600 Galleria Parkway
Suite 170
Atlanta, GA 30038
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The opinions and general information in this blog are soley those of Kathy Sheehan. Specifics regarding an individual case should be discussed in detail with a loan professional. For a confidential consultation, please feel free to contact me via phone or email. All terms and conditions are subject to change.
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