How to Manage Finances in Marriage for Women
- 1). Determine precisely how much you and your husband earn after taxes. Subtract this amount from the monthly bills. Subtract an additional 10 percent of your total income earned for retirement and savings, 5 percent of your total income earned for an emergency savings account, and any additional monthly donations, such as tithes or charity contributions.
- 2). Purchase two notebooks and folders to keep track of all purchases you and your spouse make for a month. Place all receipts in a folder as they accumulate, and after a month, write down every purchase made and assign them to categories. Examples would include food, toiletries and clothing.
- 3). Evaluate the monthly total spent in each category and determine if this amount will be within your remaining funds after the bills are paid. If the amount is higher than the monthly sum, set your monthly budget to a realistic amount and divide this number by 4. This is the amount of money that should be set aside each week for household needs.
- 4). Keep track of this amount weekly in either the notebook or a computer spreadsheet and re-evaluate your budget at the end of the month. As long as you remain within your set weekly amount, you and your husband are successfully managing your finances.
- 5). Discuss with your spouse the procedure for large purchases, such as vehicles and houses as well as future investments.