Article

A Budget Can Help Boost Your Family’s Savings

Boost Your Family's Savings

In difficult economic times, many young couples and families may find themselves wondering where their money goes. Faced with income constraints and competing demands for their money, many people simply spend what they must on necessities and save whatever happens to be left over. Or they spend all of their wages trying to make ends meet and borrow or charge anything else that they need.

March 30, 2021
Boost Your Family's Savings
Important Disclosure: Content on our website and in our newsletters is for informational purposes only. The information provided may (or may not) directly apply to your situation. We recommend that readers work directly with a professional advisor when making decisions in the context of their specific situation.

In difficult economic times, many young couples and families may find themselves wondering where their money goes. Faced with income constraints and competing demands for their money, many people simply spend what they must on necessities and save whatever happens to be left over. Or they spend all of their wages trying to make ends meet and borrow or charge anything else that they need.

Whether you live close to your means or have substantial financial resources, a budget can serve as the foundation for a family savings program. It can provide an effective tool to help control both personal and household expenses, thus freeing up income that you can redirect toward your family’s future.

How does a budget accomplish these goals? Consider the following points:

  • By putting your family’s actual expenses down on paper, a budget may reveal an inefficient or ineffective use of your family’s financial resources.
  • Once you see where your money is going, a budget can encourage you and your family to conserve your financial resources or spend them more wisely.
  • A budget can assist you in anticipating financial problems that might otherwise arise from your present spending habits, thus allowing you to take corrective action to prevent difficulties before they occur.
  • Equally important, a budget may alert you to the need to develop alternative courses of action to achieve your family’s financial goals.
  • A budget can also help motivate you and your family to stick to a savings plan once you’ve committed yourselves to it.
  • Finally, a budget can help you evaluate and measure your progress toward meeting your family’s long-range financial objectives.

Regardless of your family’s dreams—whether of higher education for a child, an early retirement, or a once-in-a-lifetime family vacation—a budget can help boost your savings, thereby bringing your family’s wishes closer to reality.

Other content you may like

  • It's Time in the Market, Not Market Timing

    2020: A Wild Ride

    January 9, 2021
    This new year summary recalls historic returns in the U.S. stock market in the past two years. Plus important stats on risk, volatility, assets and diversity, including the historic divergence between equity mutual fund and ETF flows.
    Read this Article
  • Podcast Highlight - Client Questions: T-Bills are simple, can they save the day?

    August 31, 2023
    The Team discusses how people are enjoying the interest rates that their conservative investments are paying but warns that cash vehicles are not long-term solutions.
    Read this Article
  • MAR Student of the Market

    Stock Volatility Remained Low

    March 27, 2024
    Tracking historical data, by the number of single day stock market returns of +/- 2% or more, shows that lower volatility has typically resulted in stronger returns. This overview also looks at past stock trends following a Fed rate cut, S&P 500 milestones for all-time highs, the strength of Mutual funds, EFTs and more.
    Read this Article
  • Monitoring & Managing Business Credit Reports

    April 21, 2025
    It’s a good practice to review personal credit reports from the major credit bureaus, but have you considered monitoring them for your business? This article walks through why it’s important for business owners and partners to pursue a good business credit rating.
    Read this Article
  • The link you have selected is located on another server. The linked site contains information that has been created, published, maintained, or otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of this organization. We do not endorse, approve, certify, or control any linked websites, their sponsors, or any of their policies, activities, products, or services. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information contained therein. Visitors to any linked websites should not use or rely on the information contained therein until they have consulted with an independent financial professional. Please click “Continue to Link” to leave this website and proceed to the selected site.
    phone-handset