You might think of a budget as financial handcuffs - meaning you are restricting yourself from spending money on the things you want. This isn't so. Instead, think of it as a means to achieve financial success. Whether you make thousands of dollars a year or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, a budget is the first and most important step you can take towards putting your money to work for you. There are new ways to help you do your household budget: you can download worksheets from the internet or you can conveniently make one for yourself. You can start your household budgeting by making a layout of your expenditures and income by month for the past year. This will give you the idea of the amount and timing of your cash flow on a monthly basis. ELIMINATE WASTE A new pair of shoes is considered a waste if you still own four workable sets of pumps. Expensive toys that you just display on the dusty corner, the set of paperbacks lined on the bookshelf but left untouched, dining out when you can cook at home, are all waste of money. Whenever you feel the impulse to shop and dine for your pleasure, why not try this little experiment: estimate the amount you'll possibly pay for giving in to your heart's desire, then set the money aside, put it in an envelop, seal it, and open it after six months. Or perhaps you just need a structured repayment plan. Maintain a cash cushion. Nothing is more stressful than losing your job or receiving an avalanche of unexpected bills. Maintaining a cash cushion in the bank -- typically enough to live on for at least three months -- can help you sleep easier at night. It is also guideline to help you spend your money on the things that are most important to you. A budget is to successful money management as a rudder is to a ship. Without it you muddle through, unable to stay on course because you have no course charted and you have no equipment for steering through the currents that constantly swirl around you. The money allotted for transportation should be handled sensibly. As much as possible, you must avoid purchasing very expensive car models. Second-hand cars are enough to take you around the state. You can also ride taxis if the money you have allotted for gasoline isn t jiving with the money left in your wallet.