Living within Budget when having children

Living within budget isn’t easy especially when you have children. Life has its ups and down and so does parenting. Finances are even more deadly when children are involved. The reality is, life will never be perfect and we all need to mentally prepare ourselves to enjoy it. 

Everyone in this world has bumps to encounter at some point. Having children is not black and white and every parent would agree to that. However, with God's intervention and a good planning this daunting task can be conquered. .

When it comes to finances there is no better way to say this - plan and budget your money. It is easier said than done, budgeting for a child can be very difficult and sometimes highly inaccurate. 

The key to living within budget when having children is to always take each month as it comes. When starting to a financial plan the first thing you have to do is to learn your children needs as well as interests. 

Start by creating a monthly budget-and then stick to it. Keep track of your expenses in a journal or a spreadsheet before setting up your budget. You'll be surprised how quickly everything adds up. 

Try to work between your child's essential expenses such as; medication; possible doctor visits; hobbies and interests and the other members of the family.  You have to set up a way to continually track and review your spending so your expenses don't creep up on you each month. 

This also means putting your children on a budget and standing firm when they've reached their maximum for the month. Once you've established some spending trends, you can create a realistic budget. 

If your budget isn't realistic to start with, you'll feel as if you've failed after your very first month. Take note that a financial budget will only work if you have been realistic with your plan and you stick to it.