Family budget
Family budget template
Most family budgets fail on the lines nobody wrote down, not the big ones. Go through this once with both adults, put a number next to each line, and the month stops surprising you.
Money in
- Take-home pay, each adultAfter tax and pension, as it lands.
- Child benefit and any other regular payments
- Anything irregular, averaged per monthBudget on the lean month.
Fixed every month
- Rent or mortgage
- Council tax
- Energy and water
- Broadband and phones
- Insurance
- Childcare and school fees
- Commuting and car costs
Everyday spending
- Food shopWeekly total times 4.3, not times 4.
- Household and toiletries
- Takeaways and eating out
- SubscriptionsList them all once. There are more than you think.
Kids
- Pocket money
- Clubs, lessons and kit
- School trips, uniform and dress-up days
- Birthday parties and presents for other children
Put aside
- The annual bills, divided by twelveCar insurance, MOT, TV licence, memberships.
- Christmas and birthdays, divided by twelve
- Emergency fundEven a small fixed amount, every month.
- One named goalA holiday or a sofa beats "saving".
What this list does inside Famio
In Famio each line becomes a budget category with its own limit that both adults see. Bills are entered once with their due date and remind you before they land, and a food shop ticked off the shared list can post straight to the budget.