Are you interested in setting up a budget or learning more about the budgeting process?

I’ve written about budgeting several times on this site. Here are the links.

• 6 Steps to a Working Budget
• Sample Household Budget (to view or print)
• Budgeting for Gifts
• Gifts Budget (spreadsheet)

Here are some more budgeting articles you might find useful.

• Personal Budgeting: How to Create a Budget
• Budgeting for Your Peace of Mind
• Household Budgeting: Secrets to Marital and Money Bliss
• Household Budget: 10 Sneaky Saving Strategies
• Home Budget: Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Post from: Home Management Tips

Getting Started with a Budget

To make the entire process as simple as possible, I’ve uploaded a spreadsheet that I use to track those budgeted gift amounts. By taking the time to complete the spreadsheet and list all the people I’ll be buying for this year, I save myself time later in trying to track gifted amounts and gift values. This also helps keep me from having to worry about gifting too much to one person and not having enough for someone else—think in-laws, children, and siblings…

This spreadsheet includes three sheets:

1. Instructions
2. Christmas
3. Other Gifts (including anniversaries, birthdays, etc.)

The gifts budget spreadsheet is available as a free download on my templates page.

I hope you find it useful. If you do, please consider leaving me a comment.

Post from: Home Management Tips

Budgeting for gifts

This year, I’m resolving to get that habit back. Exercise is one of the simplest ways you can improve your health and fitness level. Walking, running, all those activities were easier when I was maintaining an active lifestyle.

One way I’m going to accomplish my goals is to begin using my Home Management Tips Calorie and Food Log Spreadsheet again. I didn’t use it much in 2008, but now that I’m gearing up to lose more weight, I know it will give me the motivation and accountability I need to keep me on track in 2009. My Simply Daily Food Log can also keep up with a daily calorie count, but I want to be able to watch my progress on pretty charts and graphs.

This year, I’ve also convinced my husband to try losing some weight with me. What helped me convince him to participate? John Tesh does a radio program called Intelligence for Your Life. On one particular night Tesh was discussing how to be successful at keeping your New Year’s Resolutions going. He mentioned that losing weight with a partner made you much more likely to succeed. We were both listening to that program that night, so when I wanted to convince my husband to participate in my efforts to lose some weight, I told him I really needed his help and we would both be more likely to stick to it if we did it together. He agreed. I don’t know how much John Tesh had to do with it, but I sure don’t think it hurt anything to have someone backing me up.

What about you? Do you want to lose weight or become more active? What have you resolved to do this year that will have the biggest impact on your health?

Post from: Home Management Tips

Resolve to be healthy this year