Percentage breakdown for household budget how to#

There are lots of tips and tricks for how to save money by conserving water and electricity alone. It’s funny how the most important things on your household budget are often the things that need the most tweaking.īelieve it or not, 10% is a relatively high number for utility costs. It’s possible your utility bills are high. Be sure to include gas, water, garbage, etc., in this part of the budget. Of course, the electric company doesn’t get all of that green. There are all kinds of ways to spend money, but one thing you will always need to do is, “keep the lights on.” Here’s another thing you’ve probably heard a lot in terms of necessity over frivolity. Some people’s households find a dramatic improvement in their finances overall when they meet this household budget percentage.

But, paying too much for housing may be one of them. If you are having trouble with your budget, it could be any number of things. You should allot the right portion of your income to a housing cost that is sustainable and reliable for you. Percentages help you figure out where your sweet spot is on that spectrum because you can make an informed decision on housing based on your income.Īccording to many finance gurus, many budget categories have room to budge, but housing costs are not one of them. There is the primal necessity to have shelter, but there are different ways of doing that. It’s a major life decision whether you rent or own and how much (if any) real estate you purchase. Housing accounts for 1/4 of your total household budget. The largest household budget percentages are not always the most important ones, but this one certainly is. If you want to let it go longer than that, then invest it to help you build wealth. If you want to use your money within 5 years, save it in the bank. investing money with your 10%, consider when you want to be able to use those funds. One way to guard against that is to make sure your money goes to the right place, especially for categories like saving that is easy to get pushed aside. It’s one thing to have a budget, and it’s another thing to stay within that budget. That’s just how it works.īudget how much you want to bank each month and set that money aside right away so that you can’t lose it to other types of spending. Why? Because if you wait until everything is paid, you won’t have anything for yourself. The Ideal Household Budget Percentages 1. These percentages are an excellent starting point if you are just starting to get a grip on your finances.Īs you gain confidence, you can make more room in your budget by cutting the amount you need for expenses like insurance. It not only helps you break up your expenses into manageable segments, but it also tells you where you are overspending and need to cut costs. These are the amount per hundred dollars you spend on things like utility bills and food. Knowing your household budget percentages is an essential part of creating your budget.

You can move from debt to wealth, and suddenly, you will find yourself in a position where you can leverage that wealth to do important things. Once you know the balance of your income and spending, you can start to shape how you balance your budget. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that knowing your household budget percentages is empowering and it’s addictive. If you aren’t a fan of math and percentages, you soon will be. And it all starts with knowing your household budget percentages. All budgeting is, is taking control of your money, so it doesn’t control you. I just want to put that out there in case the word “budget” makes you cringe! It’s also fun.