By Andrea Pettes
 
November 10, 2008
 
This is the first of a two part series looking at how families can implement and maintain an effective budget.
 
MEDFORD, Ore. -- The rising cost of fuel, food, and household bills has many family budgets taking massive hits.
 
Putting together an effective budget together can be hard, but determining what you spend each month can alleviate a lot of stress.
 
Experts say people should break down their bills and expenses. Your housing and food costs should account for 50 percent of your total take home pay.
 
"People don't want to take the time to do it. And they don't like the word 'budget'. So we use spending plans, because 'budget' does sound like you are going to spend less and eat macaroni and cheese everyday. That's the connotation of the word budget," says Consumer Credit Counseling Service Executive Director Jan Safley.
 
One of the hardest places to stay on budget often comes in our food choices.
 
This is an area we don't write a check once a month for. You know what your rent check is. You know what your car insurance is, so you stay to that. But food is often an impluse thing and it does require some planning and discipline," says Safley.
 
Dietitian Cathy Miller says it isn't always what we eat, but where we choose to shop.
 
"You want a store that has the cheapest prices for the items you buy, because some stores really do differ a lot in prices, as much as 50 cents to one dollar per item. So if you buy 60 to 100 items, that's a lot of money. It comes to 30 to 50 dollars you could be saving by going to a different store," says Miller.
 
Another issue is overbuying.
 
"Every item you have stored is money sitting on the shelf you aren't using. So if you bought a big quantity, you are storing a lot of money," says Miller.
 
Watching what you spend at the grocery store doesn't mean you have to lower the quality of food you buy. However, staying on budget may mean taking some extra time and planning to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
 
Consumer Credit Counseling Services offers a budget class every month. The next class is this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at their Medford offices.