budgetting

**professor~yaffle**

Hi,
We're having to fill out a budget and I wondered if there are any guidelines as to what would be a reasonable amount to budget for/spend in certain categories, like food, household products, clothing, transport, telephone, etc.
Is there any information available regarding this? I suppose I would be looking for a minimum realistic amount in each category. I've had a quick look on the StepChange (CCCS) website but haven't been able to find any figures

Thanks

Learning2Budget

If you do the budget planner on step change it shows up as to whether your budget is reasonable e.g will flag anything you are over on.x

catandy

if you fill in the questionnaire on the stepchange website there is a button next to each category that will suggest a realistic figure for your household set up plus when you actually speak to Stepchange they will make suggestions for you.

Just a word of advice though make your budget workable for you, this is something you need to live with for the forseeable future do it has to be do-able, I originally set my grocery budget to 250pm at stepchange suggestion - thats for 2 strapping teenaged sons who have hollow legs and it was totally unrealistic hence 3 months later and lots of feeling aggrieved I am revising my figures to a level I feel we can realistically live at.

good luck

datlex

why don't you for food plan a 14/28 day menu then work out what food you would need to cover that. Then go online and do a pretend shop to see how much it would cost if you allow a buffer for snacks you should roughly have a budget for food