by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: May 18, 2007   Last Updated: May 21, 2007

Thinking that the need for a finance worksheet doesn't affect you because you are broke couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, when living on a stretched budget, the worksheet helps you to understand where money is going and at what rate, what to prepare for, and how to make allowance for those seasonal costs that seem to knock the bottom out of your bank account every year.

In order to construct a worksheet, several criteria need to be established:

*What the monthly bills cost you
*What food costs you
*What petroleum you use

Working out exactly where money goes and how much goes in which direction is a starting point, and here gathering utility bills for a period of the 12 months that have passed, adding up each utility to give you a total of 12 months expenditure is essential. Add up each item and mark them down on paper including all the items that apply to you, i.e.

*Water bills
*Fuel bills
*Housing taxes
*Telephone bills
*Internet connection bills
*Health Insurance costs
*Other insurances

Then calculate how much you spend in an average month on petroleum for you car as this is part of monthly expenditure.

Working across the top of your worksheet, head 12 columns with the months of the year. Make a column on the right hand side for details of each expense that you have. Divide all the totals of the above calculations by 12 for the utility bills, and this gives you a monthly amount required.

Working across the columns, put in the monthly amount required to be found for each expense, and be sure to include everything that your household spends. Column by column give each expense a name in the right hand column, i.e. Gas, Electricity, Water, Taxes, Telephone, Internet, etc., adding those items which are applicable to you, such as Life Insurance payments, Health Insurance, and gradually the worksheet fills until equal amounts for each month are shown against each category.

When you have compiled the list and added a final column for your car fuel expenses to each column, draw a line in pencil across the bottom of the worksheet, and add each column to show you the amount you need to put by every month in order to meet the bills that will arrive.

Using the worksheet on an ongoing basis.

It takes a while to get accustomed to using a worksheet. Totals should always be penciled at first so that changes can be made and additional items that cost you money added to give a clear picture of your needs. At the bottom of each column at the end of each month, place the salary amount

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