A budget serves as a road map for your spending, helping you find ways to save more money for your financial goals. For a one-month period, keep track of every dollar you spend, whether by cash, check, or credit card. Break down those expenditures by category and total them for the month. Are you surprised by how much small expenditures add up over a month? Did you realize how much you were spending on things like dining out, clothing, and impulse purchases?

To make sure you get the maximum benefit from the budgeting process, keep these points in mind:

• Use spending categories that make sense for your spending patterns. If there are areas with good potential for spending reductions, even if the amounts are relatively small, set them up in their own categories.
• Set up enough categories to give you a good feel for your spending patterns, but not so many that it becomes difficult and time consuming to monitor your progress.
• Include nonrecurring items in your budget, such as gifts, tuition, insurance premiums, property taxes, etc.
• Periodically compare your actual expenditures to your budgeted expenditures to find out where you are having problems.
• While everyone in the family should have some cash that can be spent without accounting for it, don't make the amount so large that it detracts from your savings efforts.
• Include savings in your budget and make sure you actually save that amount every month.
• While at times a budget may not seem worth the effort, remember that it is a tool to help you accomplish your financial goals. Remain committed and stick with it.

My goal is to provide the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have entrusted your financial future to a team of experienced professionals that cares about making your dreams a reality - regardless of the size of your portfolio.

I work with retirees, busy professionals and growing families who are motivated to achieve financial success or need help with the challenges that result from a life changing event. My practice encompasses investment management, college funding, estate planning and divorce analysis.

For more than 20 years I have been coaching individuals and organizations on ways to improve and protect their personal or business bottom line. I am never too busy to help you or someone you know and care about.