If you are tired of borrowing a "ten" for breads on the day before your salary, if you need to do a cosmetic repair or replace a failed thing, but you can not save up for a large purchase - look at someone else's budget management experience and try on to myself. How to properly distribute the family budget - it's up to you, but there are ready-made models that really work. One of the many, already tested, options will surely suit you. And do not be tormented by doubts, "it is necessary or not necessary to keep the budget". If you want to control where your hard earned money goes (and there is no other money), you will have to show a little discipline and make a little more effort. But after all, the return of 101% of their own money is a worthy thing?
Ways of distribution of money
The money came into the house. So what is next? "In the egg", having previously allocated for travel, food and small expenses, and already take it from there? Or how it will turn out? Who is in charge of finance in the house? But does he take more for his needs? Let's try not to quarrel, figuring out who is managing the money, because there are always options. Especially in families where the husband and wife have the right to dispose of their earnings: they have three ways to agree on joint money.
How correctly to distribute the family budget? Here's the first option: "the way one basket", i.e. all means, regardless of who, when and for what purposes they earned, are combined. It turns out "Our", from which money is taken for small purchases, and for large purchases, food, travel, tutors, studies, and so on.
This is how it is introduced into our family. By the way, we appreciated this method only after six months of use. At first it was terribly inconvenient to specify "And how much did you spend today for dinner, dear?" It felt like some sort of flawedness, as if you were looking into your mouth ... But nothing, you got used to asking questions, and to not quarrel, we go to the store together, and for a long time I have not worn heavy "knapsacks".
- Pros: transparency of the family budget, the ability to understand how much you can count on, great trust, the perception of the family as a whole.
- Cons: possible planning of one for both, friction and quarrel, who has more benefits ("yes your car! .." - "and you're on your rags ...").
The second is the "way of two baskets", more suitable for "trial" families, "civil marriages" and more complex relationships, in which there is no need for absolute trust and a transparent budget. In this case, there is "your" and "mine", and each of those that earned, pays a proportional part of payments for the apartment, allocates the amount for food, and pays its own needs out of his pocket.
This way is too "emancipated". If the family has children, the woman is somehow dependent on the man, and compared to her, he earns many times more. Or if the social difference is too great - for example, "a student is a businessman". Infringed in the interests it will be she, and he will get a "head start" and the opportunity to spend with impunity ... pleasure. This option is suitable only for a wealthy (and held) woman who wants to protect herself from gigolo, or a man who needs a certain degree of freedom.
- Pros: the opportunity to do more work and for this to get more pleasure from the earnings, impressive gifts to your beloved "half" who does not know about the financial capabilities of the spouse.
- Cons: possible objections to this "half", mistrust, in cases of quarrels, ways of manipulating (rather than resolving the conflict) become "seclusion" with a cake in the bathroom and bravado "I can let, and you do not."
Third: as you have already guessed, the method of three baskets can help to correctly distribute the family budget, in which family members make a fixed amount that allows them to live without starving or restricting themselves. All that is obtained "in excess" of this amount, everyone is free to spend at his own discretion.
This method is good for those who have different needs for the idea of a "good life" in the family. Someone just needs a new thing, but someone needs an Italian sheepskin coat - so why do we have to quarrel about this? The budget provides for a minimum amount for clothing, if you want - add money from your "own" money!« Baskets with pockets»
And if even three baskets do not help? How correctly to distribute the family budget in this case? Hence, in addition to the "baskets" will have to enter into the everyday life also "pockets". The name is rather conditional, and the principle is simple: to maximally specify the items of expenditure. For example, we have put some sum of money in the "general basket". Now it would be nice to clarify how much will go to the phone, utilities, rent, and how much - for food (per month and, accordingly, per day). The more precise you are, the less surprises you will experience as you spend this money.
But how correctly to allocate the family budget "on pockets"? So, as you want! To do this, a small photo album or a notebook with folded pages will fit, where each page is marked and signed. By the way, one man, who did not want to part with the old, worn jacket, attached his numerous pockets to such a storehouse of money. So, let's see ... Yeah, it's time to pay for the mobile - we take from this pocket, and only from IT. At first it will be difficult, you may be tormented by an ardent desire to climb into a nearby pocket (another expense item) and "to give money", to buy something "under the mood." But it is better to restrain yourself - very quickly you will gain a useful habit of accurately planning the expenses, which will never interfere.
Try to apply this "pocket" scheme to your "basket" as well. Not knowing how much and what you want to spend, you can find at the end of the month an unpleasant emptiness in your pockets - the last purchase of fashion magazines "unexpectedly" cost you a decent amount - what will you do then? Humble and ask the spouse, parents, borrow from neighbors, or immediately learn to anticipate spending in advance?