Don't be alarmed, This Will Be The Year Your Family Budget Will Not Fail

Budgeting tips for families, like family dynamics, come in different sized packages. Finding one that fits your needs can be a challenge.

Why I am here and who I am:

Hey mama, I am Trish— AKA Labor Nurse Mama. I am a labor and delivery nurse with over 15 years of high-risk OB experience. I am also a mama to 7 kids and have given birth to 6. This means I am quite familiar with the postpartum period and how to navigate it. I am the online birth class educator for Calm Labor Confident Birth and The VBAC Lab birth classes and the mama expert inside our Calm Mama Society a pregnancy & postpartum membership community! I am passionate about your birth and motherhood journey! You can find me over on IG teaching over 230k mamas daily. I am passionate about your birth and motherhood journey! We make a small commission from some of the links (you dont pay any more for using our links); however some of the recommendations, we do not earn anything; we just love em and want you to know about them. Click here for our full disclosure. Thank you! You must do your due diligence and find one that works for you and your home. That's been my quest for a couple of weeks. Our spending habits have been out of control for a few months (maybe longer if I am truthful), which led me onto this journey of searching for a budget that works for my family. My husband and I are committed to hammering our spending habits down and challenging ourselves to SAVE MONEY. Join me on this journey and check out the following informative budgeting tips for families that I found.

1. HOW TO MAKE A MONTHLY BUDGET LIKE A BOSS (WITH PRINTABLE)

Julie ~ Fab Working Mom Life  Tip: Start Simple Julie explains creating a monthly budget in easily repeatable baby steps. I love that she makes it simple and explains what and why for people like us who need individualized coaching. If you are looking for a simple plan to get your monthly budget going, check Julie’s post out now. She includes an actual workbook you can download and instructions on making a monthly budget in Excel. 

I like to start on a scale that is easier to maintain, so I like to think of my budget as a monthly bucket. I fill it up with income and pour out expenses. And see what I’m left with at the end of the month. - Julie, Fab Working Mom LifeClick To Tweet

2.  Irregular Income Budgeting Chart

Merissa ~ Little house Living  Tip: Budgeting works with an irregular income. 

Merissa breaks down a budget for those of you who have an irregular income. It is a budget laid out in duplicable steps. It is brief and easy to read.

This post includes a free Budgeting Chart that you can modify for your personal use. I like this budget as it addresses those of you who may not have a regular income.

Maybe you are a blogger, a self-employed business owner, or someone who relies on tips versus wages. If any of the previous income categories apply to you, then head over to Little House Living and check this budget out.

3. Monthly Budget Ideas: Template and Strategies to Stay on Track

Andrea ~ Savings Lifestyles Tip: Keep it Simple. I love that Andrea suggests making your budget simple. Are you like me and get sucked into creative ways to do EVERYTHING. I swear, there is nothing I love more than pen and paper. However, I get burnt out and sometimes quit if the project is too creative. Keeping it simple, as Andrea suggests, is a valuable tip. I love that she says to K.I.S.S.  Andrea, was that meant for me? Andrea, like me, admits to paying late fees due to forgetfulness and not lack of funds. Argh...My kids could verify this one. I would never let you know that my power has been turned off because I forgot to pay it or that the water company used to remember me by the first name. In my defense, they were behind times and didn't have an online payment option. Ok, back to Andrea's budget, you should check it out and see if it works for you. "Pay your other monthly bills by the due date and in the order of importance. For instance, pay the electric bill before paying the cable bill. If something should go wrong, you at least have heat and lights. And if you're in debt payoff mode, just cancel the cable altogether." - Andrea, Savings Lifestyles Check out our post on saving money by DIY your family photos: Brilliant Advantages of Learning How to Take your own Newborn Photos like a Boss

4. Budgeting Problems And Solutions You Can Use To Overcome Them!

Dian ~ Grocery Shop for Free Tip: Prepare for the Unexpected Problems.  Dian has written an informative post with tips for those of you who have created a budget but don't know how to handle the multiple roadblocks involved in executing your budget. Do you know how to handle the unexpected financial mishaps that will exist throughout the year? Dian has answers for you and gives fantastic suggestions for the challenges you may face. "If you’re not being open and honest you’ll never be able to work together on a budget and build a stable financial life together.  Talk about your shared goals for your future as husband and wife and the future of your family.  If you can envision it together, you can start taking the first steps to achieve your financial goals." - Dian, Grocery Shop for Free

5. BUDGETING FOR BEGINNERS ~ + FREE BUDGET PRINTABLE

Jen & Madi - The mother-daughter duo from Hairs out of Place Tip: Have a weekly check in with your spouse.  You will love how they explain each aspect of your budget planning process. Beginning with your income to listing your expenses, they do an incredible job of walking you through the steps. They even break down your expenses into essential and non-essential ( I need to break free of this one) making it super easy to understand. I love their suggestions of having a weekly check in with your spouse to evaluate the budget and make changes as needs. "Figuring out your money goals is a critical part of your monthly budget." - Jen, Hairs out of Place.

6.  The Fear of Budgeting for a baby is real for new parents!

Trish (Me) - Habibi House Tip: The key to a budget is sticking to it.  If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant and need budgeting advice, then head to this post. It is written for those of you scared to face how a baby will financially impact you and full of money saving tips and resources. It also includes a diaper stockpile sheet to download for free. In conclusion, You can't go wrong with any of these informative budgeting articles. Each one is full of tips and free resources to allow you to get started today.

My Take Away:

• One thing most of the above informative posts mentioned was being on the same page with your spouse. A budget just can't work without both of you being dedicated to it and purposeful in your spending.

• Expect the Unexpected:

I truly appreciated the advice for dealing with unexpected budgeting problems that will pop up from time to time. (In my case it seems they pop up often) As I am sitting here writing, my son called me to say he was sick and he needed to see a doctor. There ya go, another financial surprise. Medical expenses are often unexpected and quite draining financially. Be prepared Momma, don't be caught unexpected. Let me know which budgeting advice helps you the most and let's stay accountable. If you are interested in staying up to date with my budgeting and saving progress and resources, we end up using, then sign up for my newsletter right now! I won't overwhelm your poor mailbox. It's a promise! I am excited about planning this year's budget with my husband. It is one of my 2019 mom goals (check them out here). If you are interested in starting a Mom Blog in 2019, yes do I!! Read this post and email me for help! Learn to Budget Groceries