Being responsible with your financial life means creating a budget and building your savings. Without structure and discipline in your spending habits, more important life goals (like buying property, starting a family, or funding a business) will be harder–if not impossible–to achieve. There are different ways and resources to help you budget and spend conservatively, so finding the right process is key.
Use these resources, video, guides, worksheets, and financial professionals to get yourself on the right track to fruitful financial wealth.
guides & worksheets
| How to Do a Budget | |
| The best way to take control of your finances is to do a budget. This is a simple tool that helps you understand the money going in and out of your household. This page includes videos, a budget planner, templates, downloads, and financial counselor links. | |
| Saving and Budgeting | |
| Look through the Better Money Habits webpage for various topics relating to budgeting and saving. This page has videos, interactive tools, and blog articles that can touch on the topics you care about. | |
| Monthly Budgeting Template: Track Your Spending by Month | |
| Having a working budget in place will help you identify exactly where you stand with your finances. Here are some tips (and worksheets!) to creating a practical monthly budget to help you keep your finances in check. | |
resources
| Tips on How to Save for an Emergency Fund | |
| Unexpected financial emergencies can happen to anyone, from a random medical bill to car problems and anything in-between. Unplanned expenses seem to come at the worst times, but having a savings in place for when they happen can help. | |
| Tips on Saving Versus Investing | |
| By understanding the tradeoff between saving and investing, you can make a financial plan that works for you now and later. | |
| Budgeting Basics | |
| This resource by Practical Money Skills provides an overview of budgeting terms, what steps you should take to start budgeting, and helpful interactive tools and calculators. | |
| The 50/20/30 Rule of Thumb for Budgeting | |
| Harvard bankruptcy expert Elizabeth Warren—U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World—coined the “50/30/20 rule” for spending and saving. | |
| Creating a Budget | |
| This is Bank of America’s resource through Better Money Habits. Whether you’re looking to create a personal budget spreadsheet or just get a better grasp on money management, start with these six steps. | |
| The Secret to Saving Money | |
| Here you’ll find tips on how to start saving money, what your priorities should be, and 23 practical ways to save money. | |
| 5 Easy Steps to Teach You How to “Budget” | |
| For those of you who have tried to budget, but found it hard to stay on the budget, this is a great resource to try a different way to save. | |
| Responding to Financial Abuse: Budgeting, Saving, Investments, and Education | |
| For women survivors of abuse*, learning how to budget finances independently is an important step towards preparing for a stable future. This module provides steps you can take to manage your budget, set proper financial goals and save money, as well as other advanced money-saving topics such as investing and education planning.
*Please note that the information provided here is intended to be general advice for women involved in an abusive relationship. |
|
| Your Finances – Not the Monster Under the Bed You Might Think | |
| Some basic steps can help you organize your money matters and give you an idea of where you’re starting from or what your next steps should be. | |
professional resources
| SmartAsset’s SmartAdvisor | |
| If you want to find a financial advisor who can provide guidance for your personal finance decisions, this matching tool simplifies the process. To match you with top financial advisors nearby, you are asked a series of questions about your retirement plans, life status, investment goals and advisor preferences. | |
| NFCC Certified Credit Counselor | |
| NFCC Certified Credit and Debt Counselors work with you to determine the best options for getting relief from the financial pressure you are experiencing. Use this link to find out more and schedule an appointment. | |
by audience
by topic
