Planning Ahead
	Month-by-month planning of what you need and spend is the first step to controlling your expenses. The Consumer's Almanac can be a great tool for getting you started. The Consumer's Almanac is a 31-page booklet with a calendar and budgeting charts for each month of the year. The calendar and various charts help you keep track of your monthly income, fixed expenses, and variable expenses. Complete instructions are given for recording all information. Opposite each calendar is a page of shopping and money management tips plus a list of shopping suggestions for that particular month. For example: January is a great time to buy towels or toys. Spring clothes are often an sale in March. August is the traditional time for new car sales, and fabric and shoes are often available at lower prices in November. Thousands of people have used the Consumer's Almanac as a budgeting tool since it was introduced by the National Consumer Finance Association (now the American Financial Services Association) several years ago. You can download it for free at: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/almanac/2006ConsumerAlmanac2.pdf <Back