Smart Household Budgeting Tips with Low Income
17 November 2023

Smart Household Budgeting Tips with Low Income

By Moses Enang

Smart Household Budgeting Tips with Low Income: There is a time when there is enough money in the house for daily financial activities. On some occasions, you may be caught up with so much that your finances are too little to foot your bills.How much is 1 Dollar to Naira

What is the meaning of ‘Budget’ and ‘Limited Income?

A budget is a systematic way of planning ahead of time financially for a particular purpose, it is often documented for reference. On the other hand, limited income is associated with a time when the available resources do not match the expected or projected expenses. In a case where your resources do not match your Household Budget, what should you do?

In this article, we will offer possible answers to this question in order to help you control your income and expenses at a time when you are low on cash.6 Best Free Budgeting Apps

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Smart Household Budgeting Tips with Low Income

Discover effective budgeting strategies for managing a limited income below. Empower your finances with these smart household budgeting tips.

1. Plan every income:

This is not about knowing what you want to use your money to do next, this is about being deliberate enough to really sit down and analyze the pros and cons and then dedicate time to really put to paper what you want to use every money that enters your bank account, pocket or hand to do. In order to really achieve this, you should;

i. Write out what you earn, including your salary, stipends, bonuses, raises and every other source of income that you might expect. As long as you are sure that money will come in from an avenue, you should put it down. It would help you be accountable for every income that came in that period of time.

ii.  Write out what you spend money on: Be sure to put your wants and needs in different sections. Wants and needs are two separate things. Your needs are basic things that you may not be able to do without, meanwhile, on the other hand, your wants are just things that your ego or appetite demands. The basic needs of humans are Food, Shelter, Transport and  Utilities. In planning, do well to give preference to your needs, put them in a separate column and plan accordingly.

Allot some money first for your basic needs; the things you cannot do without, first be sincere to yourself that you are leaving emotions out of the planning process, and ensure that your needs are met first and the cost is trimmed where necessary.

READ ALSO: 15 Commonly Forgotten Expenses in Household Budgets

Next, understand that your wants can be classified into three; being Necessities, Comfort and Luxuries. Since you are low on budget and you have a household to plan for, take a deep breath and judge for yourself which category your wants fall on and attend to them based on their preference but you shouldn’t spend so much on Comfort and Luxuries for now.

2. Cut down the cost of your needs:

This is as important as outlining your needs. There are times when you may have to move out to a smaller house just to stay within a budget or refrain from certain things. No matter how much you try to cover it up, you are low on cash and in order not to go out seeking support, you should cut your coat according to your clothes.

Reduce the cost of electricity you consume, reduce the places you go to, if possible,  reduce to an extent the quality and quantity of food you consume, and avoid things and places that would make you spend more.  Doing this will lift the burden on your income and give you some breathing space.How to Put Away Emergency Funds

3. Make More Money:

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Actually, free money lurks around in our homes unknown to us. There is always money around. Look at your home, there are things on every corner, gathering dust which could earn you some extra cash, locate them and exchange them for money. The idea behind this is to take out some of the things you bought on impulse and resell them in order to make more money to meet up with your budget.

Perhaps, you might have to pick up a side hustle, offer a service as a freelancer, apply for a fundraising scheme, or just not be comfortable with your finance level. This is one of the household budgeting tips for low-income earners

4. Avoid Debt:

Oftentimes, when people are low in cash or income, they succumb to debt. Although this may help you fix the needs even when you are low in cash at that point, the accumulated interest on the principal could be very overwhelming and you might not be able to repay all, especially if your income has not increased.

So, you have to manage what you have at all times and do your best to run away from every appearance of debt.

5. Save:

Albeit, it could be very difficult to save especially when you are not financially stable at a time, when there are bills to pay and other necessities to attend to, saving here might be difficult. But, it is still the right thing to do over time. save at least 10% of what comes into your household’s purse, and take this part out first when your income starts rolling in. Tiny little drops can make a mighty ocean, so they say.

READ ALSO: 6 Common Budgeting Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Conclusion:

Conclusively, no matter how much you earn or the economic situation around you, staying within budget is very important and possible, all that is needed is self-determination and a possible way of automating the process. There’s no income that’s too low when it meets with a good budget, and we hope you make use of these household Budgeting Tips with Low Income listed above in the article.

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