BUDGETING ADVICE FOR NEW HOMEOWNERS Chris Scalese | ChrisScalese.com
FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS Budgeting 101
Buying a new home can be equal parts exciting and terrifying, depending on your unique situation. With regards to the latter, budgeting for your new home typically stands as one of the most stressful aspects of new homeownership. You may find yourself faced with a whole new list of expenses and other financial considerations that had never affected you in previous living scenarios.
AVOID OVERSPENDING Learn to be Frugal As I touched on in a previous personal finance blog, frugality can be your best friend when working to cut down on financial stress. This approach should be at the center of your first few months of home ownership. Avoid overspendingon utility items and furniture, opting for items that strike a healthy balance between what is affordable and what is substantial in quality. You do not necessarily have to be cheap 24/7, but make sure to exercise financial restraint whenever possible..
LAY OUT EXPENSES Look Into the Details Owning a home entails having to oversee a long list of regular expenses, ranging from the obvious (electric bills, real estate taxes) to the seemingly minuscule and unexpected (exterminator fees, appliance replacements). On an at least semi-regular basis, sit down and compile a list of any immediate and/or upcoming expenses that will need to be addressed down the line. Keeping yourself organized in this manner will be an asset to other parts of your budgeting plan, as it will allow you to compartmentalize your available funds and allocate them in a way that is both smart and effective.Â
MEAL BUDGETING Combat Meal Costs The kitchen alone stands as a great, and maybe unexpected place to mend holes in your budgeting plan. New homeownership teaches you the cost of groceries quite fast — a routine trip to the supermarket should reveal this notion — and as a result, it is wise to combat meal costs through careful planning and other exercises in foresight. Plot a schedule for meals throughout the week, basing each meal’s costs on an overall figure dedicated solely to food. Additionally, just like the appliances and furniture items, foods run a gamut in terms of prices, and you should err on the side of lower costs in this regard as well. Just like the former, you will want to find a happy medium between quality and affordability — you do not have to deprive yourself of nutrition, but you can also find quality foods in price-friendly packages if you look hard enough.
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