The Budget- the first step to financial freedom

The budget (a monthly cash flow plan) is the most important step in getting and keeping control of your personal finances. As the old saying goes, "Those that are failing to plan, are planning to fail." With 70% of all Americans living paycheck to paycheck and spending $1.22 for every $1.00 earned, it's no wonder that personal financial failure is more common than success.
The Small Business Administration says that the number one reason small businesses fail is due to a lack of planning. The financial affairs of your household are in effect, nothing more than a small business. The goal of every business, small and large, is to make profits. In regard to your household business, profits equate to savings. So, the number one purpose for a monthly budget is to establish control so as to protect and maximize your savings (see the SAVING section).

For the Christian, the Bible is very clear to point out our responsibility to plan (see Money Management Bible Study - "The Importance of Planning"). For a detailed step-by-step guide to using my budget organizer, go to the materials page and download the file "How to use the Budget Organizer". You can also download all of the necessary forms to set up your own budget book system, or download our Budget Planner spreadsheet. This program will do all the calculations for you. The Budget Planner uses Microsoft Excel. If you don't have MS Excel, you can download a FREE copy of Open Office, the global standard in free Microsoft compatible office productivity software (see the links on the materials page).

It is our goal to provide you with the instruction and tools you need to get started in your journey towards financial freedom!

It is good to know we can really attain financial freedom by following principles that are time tested and doable.

Want to learn more about doing a budget? Check out Christian Oriented Education, Inc.

Source: http://www.coeinc.org/AllPages/9Sections/budget.htm