Learning how to start a budget for your family might seem impossible at first. However, there are budgeting tips for beginners and budgeting strategies you can follow to help develop the right budgeting skills over time. These budgeting tips for families will come in handy while focusing on your financial goals.

Benefits of Budgeting

When you are 100% committed to attaining a goal, you place your focus on reaching it. There are benefits of budgeting when you have a family. 

Budgeting makes you aware of where your money goes. Sticking to a budget helps you organize your spending habits as well. 

Spending less money than you earn is the key to budgeting yourself, and this helps you meet your financial goals as a family. 

Below is a list of the ones I’ve come to realize throughout the years. In terms of budgeting yourself, you:   

• Can accomplish more;
• Learn to discipline yourself;
• Can make the most out of any given situation;
• Realize you’ve been spending way too much money/time on unnecessary things;
• Appreciate the simple things a lot more;
• Get very creative; and
• Learn new skills instead of paying someone else to do the task for you.  

How Can I Teach Myself To Budget

Understanding the basics on how you will start saving money is important to creating a budget. There are several ways you can begin saving money without cutting into a tight budget. 

Learning how to properly use credit cards is a lesson you should’ve experienced at a young age. There’s this idea that credit cards are the worst. 

In fact, credit cards are perfect for building (you guessed it) your credit and focusing on paying something off in smaller amounts. 

With time, credit card companies will notice how well you’ve been paying your monthly statements and may increase your spending limit. Although this sounds exciting, you never want to overspend with a credit card. 

Regardless of how much you’d like to purchase a new item, you can save yourself the headache by choosing to use your own cash or debit card. 

Thinking about your personal finance situation is more important than that item you’ve been eyeing. Another way to ensure you don’t get into debt with your credit card company is to save as you go.

When you think about saving as you go, I want you to picture yourself saving the cash you’d like to spend on one thing and pretending you’ve spent it on something else. 

The more you practice this each month, the better you’ll be at budgeting for the rest of the year. 

Simple Budgeting Tips 

There are a variety of ways you can begin to work on money saving tips that work. When you’re on a tight budget, the last thing on your mind is to use a credit card.

Although credit cards are a great way to help you hold off on paying things right away, there’s a misconception that using credit cards will help you put off the debt.

The truth is, using a credit card to put off debt will only dig you into a bigger hole. That bigger hole will hurt you as you try to improve your financial situation.

Keeping a savings account that automatically draws money from your checking account is a great option for you to try. This can help you reach your goal when budgeting with kids. 

Cutting back on expenses is one of the best budgeting methods you can try immediately. One of the best budgeting tips for families is to focus on minimizing your expenses per year so you make room for money increases.

Simple budgeting strategies that make your life easier are what help you PUSH THROUGH:

• Paying bills on time;
• Understanding terms and agreements;
• Setting up a savings account;
• Having cash on you;
• Tight budget mentality;
• Homecooked meals;
• Reminding yourself of your goal(s);
• Offering your services;
• Using less;
• Getting the best rates; and
• Holding yourself accountable.

Paying your bills on time will make it easier for you to avoid paying late fees and possibly damaging your credit. Although the best credit is money in your pocket, you can get better rates on certain purchases when you develop good credit habits.

Understanding terms and agreements is important because it doesn’t allow you to fall into traps. Many of those documents you sign with companies have termination fees you need to pay to remove yourself from their program/services.

Setting up a savings account can help you stash your money away. Look into STASH for more ways to understand automatic savings accounts that grow with time. You can also invest in stocks and your retirement through the mobile app.

Having cash on you places limits on your expenses. You’re less likely to use a credit card for a simple purchase if you have a couple of dollar bills on you.

Tight budget mentality is what will help you understand what it means to focus on the essentials. Thinking you’re limited to spending only on what you need will encourage you to make wise purchase decisions. 

Homecooked meals are the best option when you’re looking to start saving money. With a budget in mind and homecooked meals, you’ll be able to live a healthier lifestyle as well.

Reminding yourself of your goals will get repetitive during your journey to financial stability. However, spending less will help you as you continue to move away from gathering debt.

Offering your services is a great way to make extra cash to save cash. Saving money is easier when you make use of your talents.  

Using less of something can assist you in minimizing your spending and focus on ways to make use of what you already have per month. 

Getting the best rates depends on the time of the year. Take the time to follow retail trends to understand when is the best time to purchase different essential items for your home. 

One of the ways you can look for better rates is through your car insurance. Depending on how long you’ve been with a company, you can negotiate a better rate for your insurance. 

Holding yourself accountable is one of the best money saving tips you’ll ever receive. Understanding the reason why you need to save or get money fast is important, but doing what’s needed to get there is even more important. 

Tips For Budgeting And Saving On Self Care

Your self care routine will be one of the ways you’ll help yourself overcome these difficult times. You can make use of the online resources available for those looking to learn DIY beauty hacks. 

One of the ways you can budget and save on self care while on a tight budget is by trying different techniques. For instance, if you’re focused on your fitness you can add a workout routine into your day. 

Not only will working out help you feel better but it’s a great option for dealing with stress. Something as simple as walking can help you decompress after a long day. 

Reusable items are always a plus when you’re trying to budget and save on resources. If you have a bedtime routine, then I recommend using these reusable cotton rounds I picked up for my skincare routine.  

These are machine washable and are perfect for cleansing and treating your skin. You can always try other options on Amazon as well.

Use bath towels over toilet paper when doing your makeup routine. You can opt for reusable swabs as well. 

Other ways you can save on your self care routine is by using face masks that come in tubes rather than single use. These make it easy for you to focus on budgeting tips for families on a tight budget.

Grocery Store Tips For Sticking To A Budget

As you begin to focus on the budgeting tips listed above, you’ll notice shopping at the store will feel like a math equation. The more you save at the store, the better off you’ll be.

After all, a wise woman saves as she shops. Knowing what your budget is and what you need from the store will help you save on time and money. 

Creating a list is essential to sticking to your budget. However, there are other grocery store tips for sticking to a budget to keep in mind. 

Below is a list of money saving grocery shopping tips you can try this week: 

• Add prices to the items on your shopping list;
• Plan meals before heading to the store;
• Buy generic whenever possible;
• Stock up on the essentials;
• Buy when you’re low on something; 
• Choose (buy one get one) BOGO free items; and
• Shop at places that offer instant savings at the cash register

With the tips I mentioned above, I was able to spend up to $50 a week when I went grocery shopping during a difficult time in my life. Every week, I tried to aim for less and save the rest. 

The 7 steps to budgeting yourself while buying groceries will come in handy as you begin searching for budgeting resources for families who are focused on their financial goals.

What Groceries Should I Buy On A Tight Budget

You’re probably wondering how I can spend less than $100 a week on groceries and still make nutritious meals for a family of five. Although I typically cook for the pups, I cut back and focused on mixing their meals with dog treats. 

For the kids, I did the opposite. I cut back on snacks and focused on more fresh fruits and water. 

Juice was prepared from powdered mixes, but the kids often drank water with their meals. It was a great way to keep everyone hydrated. 

Here’s a list to answer what groceries you should get while on a tight budget: 

• Chicken;
• Bread; 
• Eggs;
• Fruits;
• Ground beef; 
• Oatmeal/cream of wheat;
• Vegetables; 
• Rice; 
• Beans; 
• Potatoes; and 
• Pasta; 

Knowing what to cook at home and what to buy from the store for your meals go hand in hand. Once you’ve set up a dinner menu for the week, you’ll get a better look at the ways you’ll be able to make use of the grocery store items listed above. 

Easy Budget Meals For The Family

There are various options for easy budget friendly meals to try for your family. When you focus on the items listed above, you can make delicious and simple dishes for your family to enjoy together. 

From breakfast to dinner dishes, there are different foods you can create when you’re in search of simple budgeting ideas for families. You can get the most out of your grocery shopping list by deciding on your meals beforehand. 

What Is The Cheapest Thing To Eat For Breakfast

Based on the list of groceries mentioned above, you can make cheap easy breakfast ideas for a crowd using the following items: eggs, bread, cream of wheat and/or oatmeal, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. 

Eggs can be made scrambled, hard boiled, poached or fried. Scrambled eggs with toasted bread and roasted potatoes are a great option for a quick breakfast that is both delicious and nutritious for your family. 

Bread can be made into toast and used as a side dish to eggs and cream of wheat or oatmeal. Using toast with some butter is great for a quick side dish. 

Cream of wheat or oatmeal is made with milk and contains the right nutrients necessary for growing kids. Both are made warm and can be eaten at room temperature as well. 

If you add pieces of fruit on the side, you can mix it into your breakfast dish for a sweet treat. This is perfect for answering what is a healthy cheap breakfast. 

Potatoes for breakfast sounds strange, but potatoes have 30% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake. Roasted potatoes with a little seasoning is great as a side dish to eggs or a hot bowl of oatmeal. 

Fruits can be used on the side or as a main dish for breakfast. Using fruits like bananas or strawberries make a great side dish because they offer vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system.

Vegetables can be tricky with families, since most kids can be picky with these. One way you can make it easier for your kids to enjoy vegetables is to mix it into different dishes, like scrambled eggs or make homemade guacamole. 

Super Cheap Lunch Ideas

When you’re thinking of meals to make with the options in your fridge, or from the budget grocery list for family, you’ll want to get creative. 

There are a variety of cheap lunch ideas for work you can make with chicken. From soups to pasta dishes, the options are endless when you’re looking for tips on budgeting at the grocery store. 

Aside from chicken, beans are a great source of protein. If you mix both ingredients into a dish with some rice, then you’re more likely to get the nutrients you need to stay healthy and strong. 

Bread is a great source of carbohydrates — a must for brain fuel. Throw a hard boiled egg on a piece of toast and you’ve got a quick healthy lunch. 

You can also make a chicken sandwich using bread and vegetables like lettuce and onions, which are both cheap food to buy when broke. 

Cheap Recipes For Families

Healthy dinner ideas don’t need to cost a fortune. In fact, a bag of potatoes, chicken, and vegetables is a nutritious and cheap dinner to make for the family. 

You can save by shopping for wholesale products at membership stores. This is something I did in 2018 to save on meat every week, and believe me when I tell you that $50 goes a long way at these stores. 

Pasta with ground beef is always a quick budget friendly dinner idea because it’s inexpensive and delicious. Ground beef can be used to make meatballs or used as meat sauce for your pasta dishes. 

Roasted vegetables like asparagus or green beans are perfect for mashed potatoes and meatloaf dinners because the trio contains lots of flavor and is nutritious for the family.  

A simple potato salad makes a great side dish for any dinner, and you can slip in different vegetables into the mix for those picky eaters you have at home. 

Final Thoughts On Budgeting Tips For Families

Budgeting for families can be difficult at first, but with the right plan in mind you can get through it together. You can use budgeting resources for families that are available at different stores. 

Every store has handouts on what’s on sale during the week. Some locations even offer inexpensive meal ideas at the entrance to help with meal planning. 

You can always ask friends and other family members about tips for budgeting money when you’re low on funds. You’re not the first to go through it, and you can learn a lot from others who’ve been able to get through the difficult times.