Hi there! I’m Productivity Pro® Laura Stack, joining you today to talk about an important aspect of daily life we working parents sometime lose track of: the household budget.

In the ongoing whirl of work, family obligations, social interactions, and all the other activities that make up our lives, it’s easy to forget about domestic finances. Who wants to worry about bills on top of everything else? But effective handling of your household budget forms a foundation for your efforts elsewhere, and it’s especially critical for busy Moms and Dads.

So in this presentation, I’ll discuss strategies for successfully staying on top of your home-front financials, providing pointers on:

• The basics of creating a household budget;
• Budgeting for unexpected expenses;
• How to assess and address your family insurance needs;
• Saving for the future;
• Getting ahead of the game;
• Where to find resources like budgeting calculators, and how to use them; and
• When to reach for help, and where to turn.

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

Budgeting Basics

As a productivity expert, I teach people how to get the most out of their limited supply of time. People unfamiliar with my methods often assume I focus exclusively on squeezing more out of the workday—but workplace efficiency represents just one part of the equation. The true secret to achieving overall productivity lies in constructing a decent work/life balance, one that gives you reasons to work hard, while simultaneously providing a solid basis on which to build your professional life.