With this fresh new decade, two things are true. It is cold this time of year and people will make new years resolutions. The problem is that most will not see their resolutions through. One of the biggest ones people make is to get their finances in order. With the economy the way it is and people struggling to keep or find jobs, financial stability is more important now than it has been in most of our lives.

A key step towards financial stability is having a workable budget. I would argue that having one is the key foundation towards righting your monetary sanity. Many times people will get ahead of themselves and try to hit a home run investing. I know I have tried that. it is a part of our modern culture to get what we want when we want it. And we want it now. The problem with that, when it comes to personal finance, is that if we have spent years being irresponsible it will take some time to fix those past mistakes. It won’t happen over night. But it can happen. And starting a budget will get that ball rolling.

When starting a budget, you can get overwhelmed. There are tons of tricks out there. There are tons of formulas. The truth is, it is quite simple. So here I will lay out some general tips. If you follow these tips, you can build a budget that works.

First, you need to identify your bills. Just sit down and go over your bills. Every recurring cost. While doing this, you may be able to identify areas where you can make a cut or two. But don’t get too caught up in that. Just worry about finding what you have.

Next, and this can be a little harder, figure out your weekly living expenses. This is your groceries, lunches, gas, and those types of things. Don’t worry about being exact when starting out. Just get an idea. Then identify your extra expenses. This will be entertainment type stuff. Think of it more as wants instead of needs.

Once you have all of these laid out you can start a simple budget. Start with your monthly take home pay. Then go down in level of importance. Start with savings. I know I didn’t mention it earlier because I am assuming you don’t have one and haven’t made it a priority. Most haven’t. But you should. Just start small, like ten dollars a month. Then take out your bills. Then your living expenses. And finally your entertainment.

Once you have these laid out, you have a budget. Try sticking with it as best you can. Don’t worry about knocking out all your debt right away. You want to get comfortable with working with a budget before your start tweaking it too much. When you do, always do so in small amounts. Setting small stepping goals will help keep you motivated to keep progressing.

The new decade brings the promise of new possibilities. You may have dreams of the future, but most of those dream will require you to take the first steps toward financial stability. If you follow these easy budgeting tips, you will be well on your way.

Were you a passive financial partner in your relationship? Did you leave paying the bills, finding the best mortgage deal and pension planning to your significant other?

Recent research in the UK undertaken by the Department of Work and Pensions highlighted that many of single women over fifty suddenly have to deal with the financial affairs and paperwork that their partners took care of while they were married and have to deal with money issues they have never tackled before.

Learning how to budget is therefore something many women have to get to grips with after divorce, the death of their partner or the breakdown of a relationship.

Here is a personal budgeting strategy that works for me and I am sure it will for you too.

You will need to set up two bank accounts which you can do from the same bank. I call mine Number One and Number Two account Arrange to have your salary/wages/pension/income paid into your Number One account Put aside some time when you will not be disturbed and gather all the information you have about income and expenditure e.g. bank/credit/cards, salary, pension, savings, receipts etc. Make a list of your monthly expenditure, your fixed costs for example, food, utilities, mortgage/rent, Council Tax etc. Look back through bank/credit card / store cared statements to help you. Make another list of all your irregular expenses. For example car tax/insurance/maintenance, insurance, holidays and Christmas.Now divide the total by 12 and arrange a Direct Debit with your bank for this amount to be moved to your Number Two account each month. I also arranged a Direct Debit to a Savings account which I keep specifically for unexpected expenditure to cover emergencies. You know, the times when the washing machine or TV breaks down, root canal treatment looms at the dentist or the cooker blows up. You may find after a month or so there is something you have forgotten or you have under-estimated an aspect of your budget. That’s OK, just tweak your budget and make the necessary changes as it is important to ensure your budget is both accurate and realistic

Budget finance can feel scary when you have lost your, Personal Financial Advisor, Personal Banker and Personal Budget Manager all in one go. So do not worry about it and know that help is always available if you need it. You will be thrilled how much more confident you will feel once you have mastered money management budgeting.

Budgeting can be frustrating. It can be hard to keep it organized and maintained. Using personal finance software can help keep your budget straightened out. It helps keep everything organized and easy it is easy to use.

Personal finance software goes beyond the typical budget you may have. Personal finance software allows you to track your spending, track your investments and even figure out and compare long term financial prospects, like loans.

You can make charts so you can see your budget at a glance. You can also figure just about anything mathematical because the software does all the work for you.

To use personal finance software all you need to do is insert your information one time then the software will prepare your budget for each month or as you need it with all your information right there.

You can even use the personal finance software to set up a plan for a goal. You can easily track it and watch your progress. It will help keep you on track to your personal finance goals.

When choosing personal finance software you should first ensure that it is compatible with your computer and operating system. You should also make sure that it is easy to use and that you understand all of the functions and can use the program without a lot of hassle. Remember the idea of using personal finance software is to make budgeting easier.

Personal finance software comes with many features that can make it even nicer to use. Look for some of the following in the personal finance software program you choose:

- Automation – You want a program that is as automated as possible. This will cut down on the work you have to do.

- Pre-made forms – This means you have everything pre-made for you and you do not have to do anything except enter your information.

- Loan calculators – These are nice because they let you input information on different loans so you can compare and easily see which would be the best option.

- Internet compatibility – Being able to sync with the internet will allow you to keep up with your internet banking, including paying bills.

Personal finance software can make maintaining and using a budget simple. It can take the headache out of trying to manage your finances and put you back in control over your money.