Having a budget that details all your income and expenditure will help you to keep control of your finances. Budgeting can help make your money go further.

The main aim of budgeting is to ensure that your basic needs are met (rent, council tax, gas, electricity, food, clothes, transport etc) and to help you plan for more expensive times of the year such as birthdays, Christmas, holidays and so on.

By writing down what you spend your money on every week, you can soon start to realise where your money goes. You should also work out what you spend on things less frequently such as car repairs, vet bills, school uniforms for the new term, birthdays or holidays. Try to estimate what you spend on these every year and then divide it by 52 to see how much it is costing you every week.

You then need to consider how much money you have coming into the house every week. If you have more coming in than going out, you can afford to save or to clear any bills/debts. However, if you have more going out than coming in, you need to look at your spending and think about where you can make savings.

MOST IMPORTANTLY Do not bury your head in the sand. If you are having problems with your money, benefits or budgeting  - TALK TO US.

Problems with Rent Arrears, Council Tax Bills, Credit Card demands and other bills will not go away unless you take action.  If we can help – WE WILL. If we can't, we can put you in touch with someone who can.

On the right hand side of this page there are links to websites that can offer further help and advice on working out your budget, taking control of your money and managing debts.