With a simple adjustment to your bill payment planning you can trick yourself into thinking that you owe less, and make it four times easier to pay each bill. I want everyone to get a notebook and a pen; gather all of your monthly bills and write them down in order (the first one due down to the last). With the amount that is owed- round the amount Up to the nearest dollar. (For example: If you owe $79.41 to the phone company you would write- “Phone Bill- Due 8-24-08- Amount Due= $80)

This is the fun part. Take each amount that you owe and divide it by the number four! Four weeks in one month. This way you stop looking at the whole sum that you owe each month, and break it down to the much smaller amount that you owe each week, for each bill. You can add into this equation your monthly food expenses, your yearly property and car tax, your car inspection and license, the gas bill, ECT; if you owe $575.00 for your yearly property taxes then consider that you would only need to put back $10.80 a week to pay off this bill at year’s end.

Once you get in the habit of pre-paying into weekly depository envelopes the process of paying bills will lighten up. You will be amazed at the amount of money that you will have left over to save. As you divide your harping responsibilities into more capable chunks then the worst is over. Be sure to make-up your yearly expenses into individual envelope categories. Ex: Property Tax; Monthly Mortgage; Monthly Groceries; Spending Cash, ECT. Use the monthly recurring bill-envelopes each month, all year, be sure to make boxes for each week of the year and separate the months. This way you can easily check off each weekly box as you fill them with the payment and at the end of four weeks you pay your monthly recurring bills. You can lead an easier life, easily!

The “system” is the way that you pay your personal, and household, bills. And as I said, the only true way to balance your own system is to have all of the ducks in a row. In order to correctly implement a household budget you have to know where your money is, how much is being used, and how to properly track the “limbo” transactions.

We all know those transactions that get missed because the receipt went missing or the cashier forgot to hand one to you. These are the ‘limbo’ transactions that stick us in an unmistakable overdraft hole. The point of budgeting is to clear up these little messes and fully prevent their occurrence. That’s not fully possible when your checkbook (checking account) is backward and upside-down.

You must start with first-things-first. Devise a plan for organizing your payment methods. If you have a habit, like I do, of using debit cards for just about everything then it’s time to run to your word processor for a little creating-time. If the checkbook is your downfall you still need to do the same thing, get in front of the computer. You have an obligation to your finances to get this figured out.

You need a simple blank sheet pulled up in your word processor. Get your checkbook, whether you use it or not, and by taking a glance at the sections in the check book-balancing book begin inserting lines to create the amount of sections you will need. The basic idea is create enough sections for “Purchases” to easily cover a full days worth of spending; 10-15 individual sections for ‘Purchases’ should be enough for the average person. Then you want to add top sections for the Store/Company, Amount Tendered, Debit/Check, Money Back, ECT. You need to be “in the know”! This is your life. The more convenient the sheet is, the smaller, sleeker it is the more likely you are to actually use it. Print it on colored paper (to get your attention) then fold, and place it behind your debit card, or in your checkbook. It has to be located right next to your usual payment method.

The worst budget for any family is a budget that is not doing any good. When a family decides to utilize a budget they are usually pumped up and ready to begin. After a week to a month the enthusiasm turns to discontent and then usually it is put on the back burner. The fire goes out.

When it comes to a prosperous budget there has to implemented touches of enthusiasm and useful application. When things are properly organized and adjusted to fit your personal lifestyle it becomes easier to create a useful, integrated system.

There are many common mistakes made by families and these mistakes can be critical. Most families have the wrong idea all together of what a fully functional budget is suppose to be like. When a budget becomes a restrictive tool instead of a way to liberate and empower then it’s time to stop and rethink the whole thing. There is also a damaged outlook of budgeting when it comes to personalizing them. It is nonexistent in people’s minds. Personalizing a budget is extremely important. So why is it that most families stick to the strict examples that are given? You must step away from those boundaries and make the budget flexible enough to fit your percentages.

Another major bummer in budgeting is the lack of goal setting involved. If you are trying to create a budget to help you save money but you don’t carry a motivational incentive behind it then you are destined to fail. You have to set reasoning behind the target. If you plan to save money, but you have no idea why, or what you plan to do with the money, then you will have an excess with no targets. You have to set goals for the money you intend to save and the goals must be doable, reachable, and motivating for everyone. If you collaborate these ideals the format for your budget will begin to take new heights.

You don’t have to break the bank to plan the perfect gathering, birthday party, or anniversary get-together. You can be smart and eventful at the same time. Begin the frugal thinking when it comes to the venue. You do not have to rent the main dining hall at the local golf resort to enjoy a birthday. Ask your close family and friends to see if they would house the party or get-together. If a common friend has an exquisite home that would be perfect for the size of the gathering then put a formal request together for them and offer a small fee to them for agreeing to accommodate.

Catering can be quite an expensive deal if you are covering a group of 30+ people. When it comes to food try a pot luck dinner or create a theme and allow anyone who wants to participate to sign-up for a particular piece of the meal. Potlucks are especially fun for larger gatherings because you are assured to have something for everyone’s tastes and the only worries would involve getting the correct dish back to the right person.

If travel is a worry plan ahead to have commonly located friends and family car pool from a single destination. If family is traveling from out of state come together with them to plan for pick-up times and save on taxi fare and hotel costs. By planning in advance and working together you can cut many costs.

Entertainment and décor are an expense that can be adjusted for the occasion. If there is a person you know who is in the entertainment industry then you are in luck. Some families are blessed with a musician but for those who aren’t you can compromise. Instead of paying for an elaborate band or DJ try orchestrating an array of family games and activities that are dependent on the atmosphere. If it is a formal party then a solo musician can be far less expensive for one hour compared to a band. If it is a fun-loving get-together plan outdoor activities depending on the seasonal weather. For music you can borrow a moderate sound system from a friend or family member who has a set-up worth displaying. Offer to pay for their time.

By using the rule of thumb for dieters; eat fresh, unprocessed, whole foods. By buying bulk beans, grains, and corns, ECT. You can save a ton of money, feed your family a healthy vegetarian diet, and potentially increase your family’s state of health. All while spending far less than the average grocery shopper.

Instead of buying canned, processed goods, turn your attention to whole foods. Rice, Oatmeal, potatoes, Eggs, popcorn, apples, garbanzo beans, pinto’s, watermelon, banana’s, carrots and too many more whole foods than I can type here, can all be purchased for a fraction of the usual shoppers total bill. Be creative and be health conscious. The more you gear your conscious efforts towards healthy alternatives, the more you will find more deals for a dollar or less.

Take a second look at those canned goods you are purchasing. Unless you are buying them on sale, or generic brands, you are paying more for processed goods than you could pay for the fresh alternative. In certain situations, the canned goods can be a smart secondary purchase. Look at your purchases in bulk form to see big savings too.

Stop. Don’t throw them out; reuse and recycle your way to new and improved products that you create from stuff you didn’t know why you bought it in the first place. Create new works of art out of dingy eyeshadow colors and dull blushes.

First, create a lipstick palette for your creative side. Purchase a lipstick palette with a six-well compartment. Alcone Company has the perfect example at alconeco.com. This will not only give you multiple color combo’s out of a few colors but it will also save you a ton! Use a lipstick spatula, or dental floss, to cut portions of the lipstick off and press into the individual palette wells. It is recommended that a beige color be added to the sixth well to use as a softener for brighter colors.

Is your tan out-growing your foundation color? The trick to catching your foundation up to your newly acquired summer glow is to purchase a bronzing lotion (for the face) and add a dab to your daily foundation application. Mix a drop of foundation to every dab of lotion; equal parts of both. This way you will catch you without wasting your old stuff, and without buying a whole new bottle.

If you do purchase department store foundation, they do allow trade-in’s for color changes.