When Tom Snyder coaches people in his church about how to budget, he starts by encouraging them to track their spending.
People are also reading… Follow your rhythm, not rulesSeverine Bryan, a personal finance educator and coach based in Atlanta, says a budget needs to stay flexible and constantly adjust to challenges. One of the biggest mistakes people make, she adds, is thinking they have to follow a set approach, such as the 50/30/20 budget.
Bolognino adds that while big expenses such as housing and child care payments are often fixed, other costs, especially food, fluctuate much more. While that means food costs can be high during months you are hosting dinners or going to restaurants, it also means you can trim expenditures with shifts such as planning meals and shopping grocery store discounts.
From there, Macksoud suggests creatively meeting those needs by choosing less expensive options. If going on vacation is important to you, perhaps what’s most critical is being together somewhere away from everyday demands. Her family, who live in Venice, Florida, opted for a road trip together, planned partly by her children based on places they’d seen on Instagram. “We did crazy, off-the-beaten path things,” she says, such as visiting White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
For families struggling to buy essentials, the website 211.org can help them find local food banks as well as bill-paying assistance.
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