Money management for a family can be a nightmare!

For most people, the thought of money management, budgeting, whatever you want to call it, is very off-putting, but when income is tight, expenses are high, stress is high and the toddler just put your car keys in the toilet, you need all the help you can get!

I did a quick mental check and it’s scary how many of my friends are living paycheck to paycheck, especially at my age where the concept of "security" is no longer something to be sneered at! (I also read somewhere that your income is the average of the incomes of your 10 closest friends - which I also find frightening; but hey, they are my friends ...)

For money management, there are a LOT of issues you can look at, so let's start by putting a framework to them:

1. You (hopefully) have some income - we'll look at realistic ways to increase it. Take a look at these realistic money making opportunities for busy moms by clicking here.

2. I’m reasonably sure you have expenses - there are practical ways to reduce them without hurting your quality of life, and I'm sorry to do this to you but - whatever your income and expenses, taking the time to develop and manage a budget can be worth its weight in gold. For help with this, budget information.

3. When you really need something right now, and it really can't wait, it might be time to get a loan. But don't lose sight, a loan can bridge a gap, but how will you position yourself to match income with expenses? How you approach a loan, can make a difference - and be aware, there’s competition out there right now to loan you money. So how do you get the best deal, and who do you ask? Click Loans for more information.

4. Credit cards are a useful convenience - but if you carry a balance, they can hurt. The good news is that you can probably reduce the rates you pay. To find out more, click credit cards here.