It might sound a bit out of the ordinary but budgeting can be made into an activity that is enjoyable. Most people think of setting budgets as setting limits on what they can do but it is actually a way of making sure that they can do the things that they need to do while being able to do what they want to do. There are creative ways to budgeting and sticking to them can be a fun process. When it comes time to balancing the family income to the family cost look at the cost and find inventive ways to get those cost down and have a good time while doing it.
Creative budgeting – Creative dining
Food costs are something that all families have and eating out can really flatten the wallet. But eating out of the house does not always have to mean going out to a restaurant. A backyard BBQ or a picnic at a local park can be another way of getting the whole family to eat out together and make an experience out of it. Focusing the menu on seasonal fruits and vegetables can bring down the cost and be healthy at the same time.
Creative budgeting – The coin jar rule
A coin jar can be looked at as a way of helping to learn good habits and saving up for something. Paying a little change into the jar every time a light is left on when someone leaves a room is a good way of learning to save electricity and money at the same time. Paying into the jar every hour so that someone wants to play an entertainment system is a great way of making sure that the TV or computer is not left on too long and it also curbs the habit of playing too many games or wasting the days in front of the TV. The coin jar can also be a great place to put loose change that accumulates from paying with notes instead of swiping a card. Before long the money in the jar will be enough to have fun with and not have to find the funds in the budget. It can create better habits and provide the family with a way to pay for those activities that cost money.
There are ways to balance the family budget and have fun at the same time, it just takes a creative outlook on what your family needs and a bit of creative budgeting.