Top Tips for Managing a Family Budget

Top Tips for Managing a Family Budget
We're all feeling the squeeze and these days it's more important than ever to effectively manage family budgets. From cutting down on impulse purchases to using employer provided childcare voucher solutions - this article will give you all the tips you need to know.

Shopping online 
More of us than ever are shopping online. This is great for a number of reasons, first of all because you end up missing out on the Saturday morning rush at the local Tesco -
but also because it stops those expensive little impulse purchases.
We've all been guilty of it - succumbing to the siren calls of those alcohol hand-wash gel dispensers next to the checkout, even though they seem to get lost in some unknown nook or cranny of the house, never to be seen again.
Or maybe it's the odd Snickers or Mars bar that tempts you next to the tills? Well shopping online cuts this out and makes you choose exactly what you want in any given week cuts down on wastage and unneeded expenditure.

Childcare vouchers
Many parents forget that their employers could be offering them childcare vouchers that help in dealing with sky-high nursey bills.
Employee benefits providers like You at Work are helping more and more small businesses to provide salary sacrifice programmes for firms that help alleviate costs and save workers money.
If your current employer isn't providing this, it might be worth making a point of emailing the HR department and telling them you want it.

Budget! 
I know, I know. It seems like every expert in the world is harping on about budgeting these days.
But even if it is really, really boring, making a simple record and plan of spending could save your family hundreds, or even thousands of pounds every year.
A number of apps on the iPhone and iPad store could help you to avoid using a mountain of pens and paper for the task.

Don't go Broke! Use Budget Tools

DIY 
You don't have to be a deft hand at DIY to be able to save huge sums of money. Simply learning to paint a room on your own could save hundreds of pounds that would have been spent on decorators and there are huge numbers of online guides and tips on how to do this properly. However, we don't accept legal responsibility if you choose to decorate your bathroom in an ... antiquated avocado green style - even if it is a style crime!

Cars
Money saving experts will often tell you to walk or take a bus if you need to get from A to B, but we all know with the kids in tow driving in a huge 4x4 is difficult enough - let alone taking the 143 to the shops.
So it's important that households save money wherever possible on their automobiles - whether it be ensuring tyres are properly inflated so fuel efficiency is increased or making sure the car is regularly serviced to get problems nipped in the bud early on.
Also, if you're buying a car, remember that going for a used model is often false economy. While list prices are often significantly lower than their newer counterparts - hidden costs and higher repair bills can sometimes make this choice less financially sound.