Family budget underwater reefs

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Divorce lawyers say that nearly 70% of divorces are based on differences over money. Oddly enough, it is this reason that is ahead of the mismatch of characters, and betrayal, and addictions … In order for this topic not to become a reef that your family boat will crash, psychologists advise you to discuss financial issues before marrying or settling together and to establish a common economy. Although, even if you have been married for a long time, and have not openly discussed money problems yet, do not despair. It's never too late to do this. And don't wait for disagreements or conflicts to arise. This is the case when the straw must always be set in advance. However, there are often cases when spouses decide to finally sit down and plan everything. But when they sit down, it turns out that both have a poor idea of what their budget is composed of.

So, let's start learning the ABC of family finance.

First, calculate the income, that is, all the money that goes into the family: salaries, benefits, scholarships, interest on deposits, dividends, etc. Family expenses are calculated according to four items:

Mandatory : Housing, utilities, tuition or daycare, mandatory bills - this article is pretty much constant.

basic expenses : food, medicine, attendance at courses, clubs, sports clubs, clothing, transport, mobile communications, Internet, housekeeping, pocket money, etc.

savings or amounts that are set aside monthly for emergency needs or large purchases.

free expenses : leisure, entertainment, cinema, theater, hospitality, gifts.

These items of expenditure may increase or decrease depending on the situation. To understand how money is distributed in your family, you should make a budget on a monthly basis, but plan income and expenses 4-6 months in advance.

Pay attention: family psychologists, oddly enough, consider certainty in the distribution of money for family expenses and personal needs of each person to be one of the most important keys to successful financial management. It is very important that each family member has money that he can spend at his own discretion and desire, without reporting to others in his spending.

Do you know what mistakes in family finances are considered typical?

Firstly, this is the situation when the family does not have a clear idea of income and an agreement on expenses, the spouses are accustomed to relying "at random" or think that money is a "dirty topic". As a result, they find themselves in an even more "dirty" situation, when life finally forces them to dot the i's in these matters, sliding into mutual insults, accusations of carelessness, extravagance, or financial failure.

The second mistake is inability to prioritize costs, purchases, payments … Family members want everything at once, and as a result they get nothing. This also includes neglect of planning, when it would be possible not only to save money in advance, but also to purchase what you want at a discount, at a wholesale price, etc.

The illiterate use of insurance, loans, checks, bank accounts is the scourge of our society, which has only recently encountered such benefits of civilization. Never be lazy to thoroughly find out from bank employees or sellers all the opportunities provided at the conclusion of a particular deal, so that it does not go sideways for you. Carelessness regarding legally competent support of financial transactions, execution of powers of attorney, wills, agreements; inattentive study of financial documents or their careless storage can also create a lot of problems for you and subsequently take up a huge amount of time.

The misconception about financial risks, when deposits are made, on which money is lost - this situation is familiar to all unlucky investors of the notorious "MMM" and "Vlastilin".

If you think carefully about this list, you can easily avoid many financial problems.

Who runs the show?

Do you remember the old anecdote about how a husband comes home in the evening and sees a complete destruction, dirt, dinner is not ready, the children are not washed and not fed, and the wife is lying on the sofa with a newspaper. "What's wrong, dear?" he asks in horror. “Nothing,” the wife answers calmly. “You were indignant every evening, asking what I did all day. So, today I didn’t do it.”

This I mean that homework is also work, and it cannot be ignored.

Very often, problems arise in those families where some people earn money, while others stay at home, doing housework and children. Moreover, this is not necessarily the wife, it can be both the husband and the grandmother, and someone else from the relatives. You can enter their share of family spending in a very simple way: calculate how much it would cost you on average the services of a babysitter, housekeeper, cleaner, etc., and you get the "virtual" cost of housework.

The stinginess of a working spouse in relation to an unemployed one is not such a rare phenomenon. But more often than not, paradoxically, the reason for this behavior lies not at all in the sphere of dislike, greed or disrespect, but in elementary economic illiteracy. The amount allocated by the husband for the wife's household expenses is not justified in any way. It seems to him that the money given out is quite enough. If, having rejected pride, you start keeping a book of expenses, making a complete list of the necessary products, goods, transportation, educational, utilities and other expenses, the husband "suddenly" will discover that life is not cheap! And do not consider this reporting degrading your dignity. To avoid such an approach, it is better to consider it as an opportunity to figure it out and make a joint decision to improve the situation, not only of your personal, but of the whole family.

How to save money

What to do if, contrary to your best intentions, money is constantly flying away in an unknown direction? Try to follow these simple rules:

At first, you should always know how much is in your wallet … This makes it easier to control costs and limit yourself in some way.

Secondly, at least once in your life, write down your monthly expenses … It may turn out that a good half of the salary was spent on all sorts of little things.

Get a separate wallet for your change and all the small coins, without looking, pour there. As a result, by the time the large bills run out, a decent amount can accumulate in the "petty" wallet.

You can borrow money for current expenses only if absolutely necessary.… The money will go away imperceptibly, but you still have to pay the entire amount.

If you lend money, then ask to return it in fullrather than parts.

When heading to a store or market, make a list in advance products and things to buy. A person trapped in a dense environment of colorful goods is more likely to succumb to temptation and buys a lot of unnecessary things. Do not be seduced by colorful wrappers: packaging increases the cost of the product, but does not affect its quality.