Cash Flow Worksheet
You know you ought to have one. Here it is. We've made it as painless as possible. It will help you understand where your money is going. You might be surprised to learn that you're spending more on your hair than on utilities.

Once you have the facts, you can experiment with changes — say, pay off a few credit charges and move that $100 a month from "Credit card payments" to "Savings." This is the outline of a budget that you can create, and stick to.
Monthly Income
First, get an accurate picture of your monthly income. Enter AFTER -TAX income in all cases:
Take-home pay $
Bonuses and commissions $
Interest and dividends $
Alimony received $
Net pension or Social Security $
Tax returns received $
Other $
Total monthly income: $
Monthly Expenses
Now, list your monthly expenses below. Skip any line that doesn't apply to you. Be as thorough as you can: For example, don't forget that car costs may include insurance, gas, maintenance, repairs, parking and tolls as well as a loan payment. Spread all your costs over the whole year. If you spend $600 on gifts in December, make that $50 a month below.
Alimony paid $
Car (or public transit) $
Charity $
Child care $
Clothing $
Credit card payments $
Education $
Entertainment-including dining $
Food $
Gifts $
Housing-mortgage and taxes or rent $
Home improvement and furnishings $
Insurance (life, health, home, liability, other) $
Medical expenses not covered by insurance $
Personal care (hair cuts, dry cleaning) $
Savings $
Telephone $
Utilities $
Vacations $
Other $
$
Total monthly expenses: $
Your Monthly Cash Flow: $