The ABC’s of a Budget
Tips on How to Create a Budget
by Lorraine Brock
I recently met a client to begin a typical organizing job that included helping her organize spaces in her home. My notes told me our focus would be over stuffed closets, mounds of paperwork, and a disastrous kids’ playroom. As I sat and talked with this stay-at-home mom of two small children, I realized that it was not the spaces that needed organizing, but the details of her life she was responsible for, but never adequately taught how to do.
This client had normal questions about how to organize papers, what to keep and what to shred, and what to do with the piles of her kids’ school papers. During our discussion, it became clear to me that her bigger need was for an organized, realistic household budget that she could manage for her family. Her husband gave her money to manage each month divided into basic categories such as groceries, clothing, kids’ entertainment, and miscellaneous (haircuts, etc.). She was also responsible for paying the bills for two of her own credit cards used for purchasing the kids’ clothes when she ran out of cash.
