Those forgotten purchases that all add up, discretionary spending is where the budget can be drained and if left unchecked it can be completely blown out of the water.  So you think you have included all your bills into your budget and you are on track to taking control of your money but for some reason each month the funds in the account don’t quite stretch to cover the bills.

Perhaps you have forgotten the monthly subscription to a magazine that doesn’t even get opened anymore let alone read by anyone in the household.  This might cost between €50 and €70 per year.   Or you might enjoy your latte or cappuccino every day for your elevenses to wash down that scone or croissant.  If we say the average cost of just a coffee is €2.50, this equates to €12.50 per 5 day working week which is an astonishing €650 per year.  That is not including the scone or croissant.

Are the kids buying games on their consoles or paying unnecessary subscriptions for games that they no longer use.  Are they constantly on their iPod or iPad buying music or apps that are a must today but forgotten about by the end of the week? In fact, by the time you get your credit card bill they have forgotten what they bought.  It is very easy to buy these games, apps etc. and when it doesn’t seem to affect the cash in your pocket, it is the ignored squandering.

Now is the time to start keeping track of all your household expenditure. BillsManager.com has a very easy to use, income and expenditure sheet, to help you keep track of all spending.  This is a free online tool to help you budget.  Once you are aware of your spending you can make informed choices, what needs to stay and what you can eliminate.  Whatever is to stay can then be included in your BillsManager household budget.  Planned discretionary spending will enable your budget to run smoothly and will help you become more aware of all expenditure.