If there’s one thing that can be frustrating, it’s feeling like you can’t catch up in regards to your finances. Managing the finances of a family can be much harder than most people realize. In many ways, it’s like managing a business. If you can’t keep your expenses below your revenues, you’re going to run into serious problems. To avoid the financial quagmires that can result from not being able to pay your bills, you’re going to need to create a budget for your family. Below are just a few of the reasons why doing so is important.
Having a Budget Stops You From Living Beyond Your Means
Many people want to live a lavish lifestyle. However, when you’re in a middle-class family, that is not always possible. Instead, you have to be happy with what you do have. Creating a budget and sticking to it means you will be living within your means. That will be a very good thing since it will prevent you from getting buried in debt. According to research, the average American holds over $90,000 in debt. That’s not a situation you want to put your family in. With a budget, however, you will be able to better keep expenses under control because you will be looking directly at the numbers.
Getting Out of Debt Can Be Extremely Difficult
Once you have gotten into serious debt, it can be extremely hard to claw yourself back out again. Debt tends to snowball. Once you have too many bills, you may have to take out more debt simply to pay them off. In many instances, you may only have enough money to make payments on the interest accrued instead of on the principal. It may feel like you’re working incredibly hard. However, the principles of your loans may still not go down. Instead, your debt may end up growing exponentially over a period of years until you’re in a completely unsustainable situation.
You Could Run Into Problems With the IRS
There is only one group of people scarier than creditors. That, of course, is the IRS. If you are unable to pay your bills to credit card companies and others, chances are you will also run into issues paying your income taxes on time. If that is the case, your options are limited for how to deal with such a situation. One way to find tax problem solutions is to use a service that is designed to provide you with tax relief. Such a company would work on your behalf to settle your tax debt with the IRS. This solution may involve enrolling in an IRS Fresh Start program. The program allows a taxpayer to settle their debt by paying off less than the full amount owed over a specific period such as two years.
Bankruptcy Is a Lot Harder Than You May Assume
If you think you don’t have to budget because declaring bankruptcy will solve your eventual debt problems, you should think again. For the most part, there are two kinds of bankruptcies that concern individuals. Chapter 7 is a more traditional liquidation that most people tend to think of when they hear the word bankruptcy. However, after reforms to bankruptcy law, most people will instead be forced into a Chapter 13 bankruptcy process. Under Chapter 13, you would still be paying off your debt albeit in a restructured format. You will also still reap all the negative impacts that filing for bankruptcy will entail for your credit history, ability to borrow money, and much more. You may even have problems renting an apartment or getting a decent job with the bankruptcy on your credit history.
Overall, there are a lot of significant risks to not being able to pay off your bills. Instead, get ahead of the problem by making a budget for all of your family’s spending. If you do adhere to a budget, you will be able to pay your bills and have some money to spare. Save a good deal of that money so you have a financial cushion. It’s always much better to live debt-free. It will teach your children how to be responsible with money so they too can avoid the dangers of debt in the future.
