How To Create Your 2014 Spending Plan Jan 1st

If the word budget sends you screaming from the room, you aren’t alone.
Most people view budgets as the most dreadful type of diet – a thankless chore that leaves you feeling deprived when you stick to it and guilty when you don’t. That’s why they’re such a source of anxiety, frustration and squabbling within many families. And, like so many New Year’s-imposed diet plans, January is the season for new financial resolutions.
However, in today’s environment, where jobs are shaky and credit card balances are growing, developing a spending plan can provide a shot in the arm for many households – particularly those where there are dissenting views as to where the money actually goes. Here are a few easy, yet effective, ways to put a new 2014 spending plan in place.
How To Avoid Overspending
Sometimes it’s not you, but a spouse or partner. Or maybe it’s adult children who seem to have trouble managing their resources, but are good at draining yours. Either way, without some roadmap it’s too easy to fall into the trap of overspending, leading to unwieldy debt load and the cycle of living month-to-month…