How To Get a Leg Up on Your Cash Flow

Posted at 5:22 AM, Mar. 1, 2008

Here is a terrific article about giving repair tips to those who need help budgeting and keeping accountability with their money.  I personally am in this group. 

 Our monthly budget is mostly based on my husband’s income for he has the steady paychecks versus myself who works on commissions (I use my checks to make larger payments on debt, create savings, pay for household repairs and renovations and paying for our children’s tuition).   For example, I do the budget planning ( a service provided by the company) with our electric and gas bills.  In addition, most of our bills are auto pay either directly from the company or I do online banking and TELL my bank to make payments on a given day once a month.   So far the only bills I pay manually every month are my cell phone ( I admit, I do not trust them!) and my major credit card since the required payment changes and thus my monthly payment.

Larger payments, such as my HELOC and student loans, I have my bank transfer funds every two weeks (half my payments each pay period) into a separate account and then the creditors are paid out of that account. By adding just a few dollars more, say the sum is $435.78 every month, I summarize up to $500 and transfer $250 every two weeks. By doing this I create a small cushion (or savings if you will) and I am not feeling the burden of certain pay-periods that have larger bills due than the other. Even my mortgage I pay every two weeks (in half and rounded out) so by the end of the year, I have made one whole extra payment and the beauty of it is, I don’t have to make ONE paycheck stretch a whole month when the other is mostly devoured by the mortgage payment had I chosen to pay monthly.

 Now there still are times that I have to stretch the dollar farther than others, but it definitely has been less painful and certainly eased some of the stress. I have a much better idea of what is left over to spend on groceries (which is not a fixed expense and therefore I can do cutbacks when necessary) and other extravagances like the designer coffee. The advise offered plus a few I have suggested here are a means to take those small steps towards financial balance.