Sticking to a budget can save a lot of money

Across the country, millions of people might worry about their finances on a weekly or monthly basis because it always seems like they're spending more than they're bringing in. However, what many don't know is how simple it can be to create and stick to a budget that will help to alleviate these concerns.

The prospect of making up a household budget might sound like a daunting task for many Americans, but the fact of the matter is that all it takes is a few hours, according to a report from the Detroit News. The simplest way to do it is to look at every cent spent over, say, a three-month period, and compare that to what type of income the household has. Then, prospective savers can begin to think about other issues such as what's a necessary expense (bills, rent, groceries, etc.) and what isn't (entertainment spending).

Many experts say that this is one of the easiest ways of saving money, because once consumers have put their household into place, they will know exactly how much they can spend in each category, and it's really not that difficult to track, the report said. Consequently, those who undertake the effort will likely be able to see themselves save hundreds or even thousands annually in money they might not have even thought they'd noticed.

Sticking to it
Meanwhile, another concern that many consumers may have about this kind of saving effort is whether they'd actually be able to stick by a budget they came up with in the first place, the report said. However, there are many methods for doing so on just about everything people pay for (relying more on store brands when buying groceries, seeking out coupons, finding ways to cut heating or power bills, driving smarter, etc.) that might need a little bit of research and real-world testing for people to get really comfortable with them.

However, the more that can be done to save money, the better off financially a household can be going forward. This is because any extra cash that's freed up can start being put toward paying down outstanding debts, including credit card balances. That, in turn, may reduce the amount that needs to spent in each successive month by a significant margin, and consumers will then be that much closer to being entirely debt-free.