What Are the Best Home Budgeting Tools?

Budget your money to keep track of how much you spend.

One of the best ways to organize your finances is to create a monthly budget. List all your bills by due date, and then deduct those bills from your monthly income to determine how much cash you will have left over for food and other purchases. A budget can also help you to pay off bills faster by allowing you to allocate some of your extra funds to pay bills. When you are looking for the best home-budgeting tools, you will go through several items. Through trial and error, you will find those that work best for you.

Computer Software

If you are able to load and use computer software, then there are several software titles available that will help you create and maintain a home budget. Use the titles that are tailored more toward home use. With spreadsheet software, you can create home-budgeting programs that are customized to your exact needs. Remember to back up your data once a week, and get into the habit of updating your information everyday.

Bill Organizer

A bill organizer is something you hang on your wall or place on your desk. It has several compartments you can use to separate your bills and put them in the order of how you want to pay them. Paying bills online also is convenient. Remember to keep a paper trail by always printing a receipt for bills paid online.

Lock Box

Keep a metal lock box in your home, or a small safe, where you can keep extra cash after paying bills and access it when you need it. You can also keep your bill receipts in a lock box. A file cabinet with a lock on it also can do the trick. Keep a written log of the cash you place in the box and what you use it for. A tool like this can help you to better understand where you spend your extra cash, and you can use it to cut back on unnecessary spending.

References

• Bankrate: Free Household Budgeting Worksheet
• CNN Money: Making a Budget
• Biblical Personal Budgeting: Budgeting Tools

Resources

• The Bee Hive: Budget