Managing your finances is an essential part of achieving your long-term financial goals. One powerful tool that can help you keep track of your finances is an effective budget, ensuring you allocate your income to the expenses that need to be paid and that you’re not left short at the end of each month. Take control of your finances today and follow the path to financial success with these 5 steps to creating an effective budget.

Step 1: Set Up a Budget

Before you jump into the details of your budget, it's important to establish a solid foundation. Having a clear structure for your budget from the start will make the budgeting process far smoother.

• Begin by gathering your financial documents including bank statements, bills and receipts, and other relevant information that will be used to set up your budget.
• Choose a budgeting method that works for you – a simple spreadsheet, a budgeting app on your phone, or specialised budgeting software.
• Decide on the categories in your budget that your monthly expenses will go into – rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, car expenses, and discretionary spending such as meals out or entertainment.

Step 2: Calculate Income and Expenses

The next step in building an effective budget is understanding your income and expenses. It’s a crucial step for taking control of your finances and making informed decisions about your spending.

• Calculate your total income including salary or wages, rental or investment income, commissions or bonuses, and any other source of income you may receive.
• Next determine your expenses. To get an accurate picture of your spending habits, track every dollar you spend, no matter how big or small. This will help you identify where you can potentially cut back to save money.

Step 3: Establish Financial Goals

Once you have a comprehensive view of your financial situation, it's time to set specific and realistic financial goals. Whatever your goal - whether it’s becoming debt-free or clearing your credit card debt, saving for a deposit on a first home, or planning for retirement - setting some clear financial objectives can help you stay motivated and focused on achieving your financial goals.

• Decide how much of your income you can allocate to repay your debt, build up a savings fund, or add to your retirement fund. Prioritise your financial goals based on urgency and importance.
• Clearing your debt should be a top priority particularly if you’re incurring interest charges that add to your debt.
• Setting a savings goal – whether it’s a deposit on a first home or an emergency fund to see you through the tough times – can help you stay focused and disciplined in your spending, knowing that each dollar saved brings you one step closer to reaching your savings goal.

Step 4: Prioritise Spending

Categorising your spending can help you prioritise where your money goes and make conscious decisions to cut back on non-essential expenses and discretionary spending if needed.

• Categorise your monthly spending into essential, every day, discretionary, and non-essential categories.
• Essential expenses are necessities like rent or mortgage, utilities and groceries.
• Every day expenses are items like gas and transport.
• Discretionary spending are the non-essential items like dining out or entertainment.
• And non-essential spending are items that improve your lifestyle, but you can probably do without them. Things like a magazine subscription or a gym membership.                                                

Step 5: Monitor and Adjust

Now that you’ve created your budget, it’s up to you to regularly monitor it and make any adjustments. By being flexible and changing your budget as your circumstances change, you’re more likely to stick to it and achieve your financial goals.

• Set aside time each month to review your actual spending against the amounts you budgeted. Check your bank statements and compare it with your budget.
• Identify any discrepancies and decide whether you need to make changes to your spending habits or adjust your budget categories.

Take control of your finances

Taking control of your finances with a budget is an important step towards reaching your financial goals. Another effective way to manage your finances is with a mortgage review. Regularly reviewing your mortgage can help you determine that you’re getting the right home loan to fit your lifestyle and budget. To get personalised mortgage advice that’s designed around your needs and circumstances, contact a Mortgage Express branded mortgage adviser.