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If you’ve ever checked your bank account and wondered, ‘where has all my money gone?’ you need to set a budget. A household bills calculator will help you do this. Being unaware of your spending can cause unnecessary stress and financial worry. You can plan out your finances effectively and build a strong financial future when you have a budget.
A household budget should include all your household expenses. A calculator will show you exactly where you are and how much you spend each month. Once your budget is complete, you can work out where you can save money and the steps you need to take to get there.
This article discusses what household bills include, why you should use a household bills calculator, shows budget planner examples and more.
Why use a household bills calculator?
Understanding where your money goes is the first step to creating a budget. If you’ve never done a budget before, using a budget calculator will help you to get organised. First, you need to look at your bank transactions over the past few months and determine what each transaction is for. Afterwards, you can decide if these expenses are essential or not. Be honest and detail every expense so your budget reflects your true spending habits.
- Are these payments essential? Rent, mortgage, loan repayment, food, travel, insurance
- Are these payments regular? Direct debit or monthly bills
- Is the month you’re looking at a ‘typical’ month of spending for you? Events like Christmas, birthdays and holidays will throw your budget off
- How much money is being spent on unnecessary expenses? Takeaways, coffee, gadgets, clothes
A household bills calculator will split your payments into categories to see where your money is going.
What are the benefits of using a household bills calculator?
You could save more
If you don’t realise how much you’re spending, you’re not reaching your savings potential. You could reach your savings goals quicker by knowing how much you can save each month. HyperJar Jars can help you reach your financial goals, big or small. Whether you’re saving for a house deposit or a new car, a budget will help you see how you can get there. A bills calculator will show you how much you have to spend to live, and the rest can be divided between savings and a treat or two.
Get the most from your money
Where your money is going each month may surprise you. If you’re shocked by how much of your money is being used for non-essential expenses, now is the time to make changes. Without a budget, you may not even realise your spending habits. A budget will make you take accountability for your spending and allow you to make changes to benefit you now and in the future.
Get organised
A budget planner will give you financial clarity. It’s all laid out in front of you with nowhere to hide. You will get your finances organised and be in control of your money, reducing stress and money worries.
What are household bills?
Essential payments are expenses that are necessary to live at a basic level. Most of these payments will be for your home and food. These are called household bills. If you rent, some of these costs may be included with your monthly rent payment. Generally, household bills have everything you need to pay to keep your household running daily. These bills can consist of the following:
- Mortgage/rent
- Travel (car payment, public transport, petrol)
- Water
- Gas/electricity
- Phone bill
- Internet
- Food
- Insurance
- Pet costs
- Home repairs/maintenance
- Council tax
- Subscription services (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+)
Each household is unique, and some costs may differ from this list, but you can plan this into your personal budget. Customise your budget planner in a way that helps you organise your money best. You should also review your bills regularly to see if you can find a better deal.
To calculate your household bills easily, use a household bills calculator. We’ve put together some examples of budget calculators to help you create a practical and straightforward budget to help get your finances on track.
Money Saving Expert
Money Saving Expert offers a free budget calculator on its website. It is easy to use and can be done online in just a few moments. This planner also considers one-off expenses such as birthdays and other social events. By budgeting for them, you can for them plan so you don’t leave yourself short.
You must follow the instructions and input your personal data into the calculator to determine where your money is going. You can download the budgeting spreadsheet or print it off if you prefer.
1. Get your bank statements and receipts ready in advance
2. Input your total income after tax
3. Fill in the budget planner spreadsheet, honestly
4. The spreadsheet will automatically calculate outgoings against your income
The spreadsheet will show how much you spend each month and how much you have left over as spare income. If this number is less than you earn, you’re living above your means and need to make changes to avoid financial problems.
Money Helper
Money Helper’s calculator works similarly to Money Saving Experts’. Their calculator provides a place to record all your spending, a breakdown of your finances by category, and personalised tips to help you budget better. A great feature of this planner is that it has separate categories for income from different areas, not just employment. This includes:
· Self-employment
· Sick pay
· Maternity pay
· Additional income from side hustles or selling online
The tabs at the top of the budget planner make it very easy to switch between the different elements of the calculator. You’ll then be shown a summary which gives you a detailed breakdown of your expenses. You will also be shown how much you could potentially save each month. You can create an account to save the budget plan, download it, or have it emailed to you.
Summary
Many budget calculators are similar, and you must find the best one. Once you have the basics of budgeting down, you can review, amend, and personalise your budget to reflect your household.
Your budget should be reviewed regularly to ensure it is up to date and input any changes to your income or spending each month. By creating a budget and sticking to it, you’ll be able to make your money work harder for you.
And remember, once you have a budget prepared, use apps like HyperJar to keep your money to one side.
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