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.

Budgeting can ensure that your basic needs are met

• rent
• council tax
• gas and 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 see where your money goes.

Dont forget about the things that you have to pay for less frequently such as car repairs, vet bills, school uniforms for the new term, birthdays or holidays. Think about what you spend every year on these things, then divide it by 52 to see how much it is costing you every week.

Next, work out 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.
• But if you have more going out than coming in, you need to look at your spending and think about where you can make savings.

Martin Lewis of the website MoneySavingExpert.com provides an excellent online budgeting tool to help you get a grip on where your money goes. Visit his budgeting pages.

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.