Finally get clarity on your household’s earnings and spendings with this free household budget planner. And gain control over your finances.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could live our life never having to worry about finances? If we could decorate our homes from top to toe exactly the way we want it. Head to the farmers market to buy organic food whenever we want it. And could travel to wherever we want.
But the truth is that finances is a thing and it DOES affect your choices and the type of life you live. And this can be good or bad. I believe that God plays a huge role in the way your life plays out. But I do believe that that He calls us to be good stewards of that which He entrusts us with.
By handling your money well, prioritising the right things, and delaying gratification. You could get just a bit closer to the type of lifestyle you’d like to live. One in which your finances doesn’t hold you back but actually provides you with a certain freedom.
Planning and keeping track of your household’s earnings and spendings is a fantastic first step to gaining more control over your finances.
CREATING OUR HOUSEHOLD BUDGET PLANNER
I started tracking our household budget when Nathan and I got married. Suddenly it wasn’t just MY budget but OUR budget. And we were both aware of this increased responsibility. Because I was keen on the idea of tracking our earnings and spendings (and Nathan wasn’t so sure of it), Nathan let me crack on with it.
But I struggled to find a household budget planner that seemed relevant for us. Most Excel files that I came across were created by Americans and mentioned earnings and expenses that we would never have in the UK. Others were so professional and plain looking that I knew that I would struggle to use them. So, I decided to pick one that was most applicable and tweaked it according to our needs and likes.
We have been using this budget planner for over three years now and it really works for us. Of course you might find that you’d like to adjust certain things in the Excel file that I created as well. But I believe that it will be a great starting point for you.
HOW TO GET STARTED
I’m afraid that I have to start with a heads up. The first three months that you plan and track your finances might feel overwhelming.
You’re getting used to scanning through your bank statements (and receipts if you have paid for things with cash) and putting every single thing in the monthly spreadsheets of your budget planner. You’re figuring out which income or expense goes in which category. You might even discover the need to tweak or add certain categories along the way.
It will be up to you to choose whether you will fill in the sheets for the past three months. I did do that because we barely used cash anyway so tracking the incomes and expenses was easier. And it helped me to give a good estimation for the coming month(s).
You might choose to track everything from this point on. That’s ok too. It will just take a little bit longer to be able to give good estimates on certain incomes and expenses for the coming months.
THE REWARDS OF BUDGETING
But there is good news too. After a few months, planning and tracking your incomes and expenses will. become. easier.
You will develop a clear idea of certain standards costs each month. Like direct debits for example. You will get into the habit of tracking the recent developments on your back account every few days. And you will build this wonderful confidence that you know exactly where your money is going.
And not only that, soon enough you will start telling your money where to go. Once you (and your spouse) have a clearer idea of your spending habits. You’ll start to recognise certain categories where you could save money in order to divert that money to things that matter more to you.
If you would like to read up on budgeting and the benefits of becoming debt free. I recommend Dave Ramsey’s book called The Total Money Makeover. Nathan is not so sure about this guy and his method but I am a big fan.
GET YOUR BUDGET PLANNER HERE
There are a lot of budget planners out there that you have to pay for. But I want to offer this budget planner for free. Because I do wish I found this exact planner at the beginning of my budgeting journey. It would have made things so much easier!
All you need to do is fill in your details down below and the Excel file will be sent to your inbox straight away.
