A lot of us have that one job, and those same bills that we pay each month.  When we have a pretty consistent life, it is easy for us to budget each month.  If you budget, you can save more than you ever thought, and get some of the best deals out there. 

Budgeting is great because it allows you to get by with what you make, and really helps you learn how to save and stretch each dollar you make. 

How to Live Within Your Budget:

Figure out numbers – First of all, you want to figure out how much you make each month.  Then, you will want to figure out all your bills for the month and then subtract it from how much you make each month.  That should be the bills that you can’t change like cell phone, mortgage, etc.  Then whatever you have left over, you want to divide it by 4 weeks.  This will give you a good idea as to what you can spend each week. 

If you want to save your money each month or week, I would recommend take a weeks worth of spending and save that total number.

Write it down – It is very easy to spend more than you think you are.  It is also very easy to remember how much we’re spending total each week.  Therefore it is a good idea to write down everything you buy.  You will easily forget that snack at the baseball game that was $10, or the few coffees you buy at the gas station.  If you skip small items like this a few times, you will be totally off your budget.

Coupons – You should always consider using coupons when you can.  This goes for clothes shopping, groceries, restaurants when you eat out, etc.  So, keep your eyes peeled each week for the Sunday newspaper, and check out Buxr.com.

Compare – Since we don’t have much money to spend each week, we want to get the most bang for our buck.  When you want an item, consider comparing prices before you buy it.  Meaning if you see it at Best Buy, consider checking out places like Amazon first.

Budgeting is a very important thing to do if you want to realize how much you spend, find out where your money goes, if you want to start saving more and spending less, and if you really want to learn how to stretch a dollar.  For tips on budgeting, consider the ones listed above.