No matter how much or how little money you have, it always seems like there’s never enough.  The way to fix that is to develop a household budget.  That process might sound like a nightmare, but a budget is the only way to truly take control of your money.  Here are a few tricks to make it easier.

The easiest part is to figure out how much money you have coming in.  Then make a list of all of your bills and expenses.  Include everything, even your Tuesday night out for dinner and your weekly movie rental.  Painful as it is, this will show you exactly where your money is disappearing to.  From there, you can figure out which expenses are absolutely necessary and where you should cut back.

Try not to plan your future spending for the entire month.  It can be easier to stick to your budget week by week because it’ll be easier to notice how much that daily designer coffee or lunch at your favorite restaurant is costing you.  On that note, try things like brewing your own coffee and making your own meals at home.  You don’t have to create anything fancy, either.  The simple act of buying more groceries vs. eating out all the time will save you money just by itself.

If credit cards can be a temptation or a problem for you, take them out of the equation and allot yourself your weekly spending amount in cash only.  For most people, using cash can stop them from overspending; you can watch it disappear, and you’ll really feel the effects once it’s all gone.  Another helpful tip can be to leave the kids home when you go shopping.  Enough said!

You budget will be an individual thing, but it still takes discipline for everyone.  You’ll need to dig into your willpower to stick to it.  Use any other tricks you can think of that might help you personally, like automating your savings and paying bills online.  Finally, don’t fret if an emergency comes up and you have to set your budget aside for the time being.  Take care of necessities, and get back on track as soon as possible.