Spending money can be fun. It can be even more enjoyable when it's spent wisely and doesn't impact your ability to achieve financial independence. One key to staying on the right path is creating a monthly "spending plan." More than a dressed-up name for a budget, a spending plan is a method of managing money that helps you align your income and expenses so you can get your money's worth with every purchase.
Your spending plan should start by identifying all your income sources. This includes regular income like a paycheck and money that comes as a result of investments, such as dividends paid. Write these down on a calendar or ledger that breaks it out on a monthly basis.
Next, you're ready to start tracking your expenses. The first check you write each month should be to yourself to fund your long-term goals or an emergency fund. You may already be doing this by setting aside money from a paycheck into a retirement account. Additionally, you can arrange to have a set amount transferred from your checking account to a savings account each month. When you Pay Yourself First® you establish a foundation that can help make financial independence an achievable goal.
To track your ongoing expenses, use a notebook or spreadsheet. We also offer a number of FIT tools ("Financial Independence Today") such as the Spending Plan worksheet in our Resource section. More robust money management software is also available, such as Quicken®, QuickBooks® or online at mint.com.
To balance your income and spending, you may need to find ways to bring in more income, lower expenses or do both. That would make a good discussion topic at your next family meeting. As noted in Yes, You Can... Afford to Raise a Family, "You may find that your purchases have more meaning and greater value when the entire family helps make the decision." Month by month, your kids will begin seeing that "overhead" is more than just the roof over their heads and that they can have more in the long run if they avoid overspending today.
Managing your money with a spending plan can help your whole family enjoy the journey toward financial independence. Which makes getting there as fun as the destination.