Regular assessment of your household finances is important to the family’s financial well-being. The following tips will help you take charge of your household finances.

Credit Card Use

If you have a credit card, use it, but don’t forget to pay the entire sum, not the minimum amount, at the end of the month. Use your credit card wisely.

Rule of Thumb

If the total household expenses is higher than 33% of your household income, it’s time to cut down on expenses. Below are useful tips to cut down your household expenses.

1. Cleaning of air-conditioners should be done regularly.

2. When you do the laundry, do it full load.

3. Put thimbles on your taps

Allocate Book Keeping Responsibilities to Your Kids

Do you have children? Think of assigning simple tasks such as data-entry to them. Through this, they will learn the basic financial principles. Moreover, it will also give them a sense of responsibility and promotes good financial practice.

Organize Your Financial Statements

List down your finances. Have a notebook or a ledger. If you have a computer, put everything into a spreadsheet. You don’t even have to pay up cash for a spreadsheet.

Here are some tips in organizing your financial statements.

1. Keep soft copies of bills and statements, if available. This will save time from entering data.

2. Save your files and have back-up of them. You can use CD-R or thumb drive. Then keep them in a safe place.

Financial Planning

If there is only one in the household is working, and there is not much sources of income, consider an insurance plan for the breadwinner. Financial worries are not something your family should cope with in the event the sole breadwinner is incapacitated.

Do It Regularly

When you are not doing your task, it piles up. Set aside 30-60 minutes each week to maintain your finances.

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