Now that you’ve purchased your new home, you will need to be able to handle all the expenses that come with owning and maintaining your home. Budgeting comes in pretty handy when juggling all the new expenses and even planning ahead for an emergency fund.

A budget is simply a written plan. Often they are viewed as stressful and time consuming. While that is one way to look at it, they are actually easier to maintain than one would think. Plus, when it comes to home ownership, they are essential for financial success.

Tips to budget your monthly expenses:

Consider all expenses

Now that you have bought a home, you’ll find that you have a mortgage payment, taxes, insurance and other expenses. Writing a budget will help you to keep all of your bills straight and handle your new house payments.

Simple format

There is no need to make an advanced, complicated and non-user friendly budget. Use a format that is simple and easy to work with. You’ll have house projects and a variety of other home-related expenses along the way. Keep your budget easy breezy and you’ll be glad you did.

Occasional compromises

When you purchase a home, your monthly mortgage payment is usually the largest expense you have to pay each month. If the unexpected comes up, then you’ll need to make an occasional compromise in order to continue to make that important payment.

For example, you may have to skip some entertainment opportunities or events. Your budget will help you to see where you are for the month and if or when you should compromise.

Realistic goals

Homeowners should be realistic with their goals. If you want to build a new deck for your home and paint the garage, then you will need to consider your budget for those home improvement projects.

Owners should avoid trying to do everything at once. In fact, they need to be cautious and not overspend or get in over their head. Remember that mortgage payments comes like clockwork every month and should never be neglected.

Everyone should write a budget for their household. If they take the time and effort to write down all their expenses, upcoming projects and what they bring in each month, then they will find the budget does the hard part for them. A budget will help you tell your money where to go and keep you on track with timely mortgage payments.