Budget worksheet

The budget worksheet is the best place to begin for most people. The first time you fill out your budget worksheet you may estimate some amounts, which is fine. Use this first draft to give you an honest picture of your current financial situation. Modify the worksheet, if you’d like to see improvements, and save it under a different name. If you need assistance call 0508 283 438 to talk to a qualified budget adviser.

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Cashflow forecast

Once your budget worksheet is balanced or showing a surplus, you can begin to work on the next step, which is the Cashflow. The Cashflow may look a little daunting to begin with but is a very powerful tool in helping you toward your financial goals. You can make it more manageable by deleting the rows showing items that don’t apply to you. If you need assistance call 0508 283 438 to talk to a qualified budget adviser.

Debt schedule

The debt schedule is a great way to answer the question “just how much do I owe?”. You may think you have a good handle on this, but writing it down will allow you to see the detail. It is good practice to prioritise your debt repayments to decide which need to be addressed first. If you need assistance call 0508 283 438 to talk to a qualified budget adviser.

10-Plan shopping guide

Here is a simple way to help you balance a healthy diet with your food budget. What is the 10-Plan? The 10-Plan shows how to spend portions of your food money so that you choose the right foods to make a balanced diet. (The original slides were kindly contributed by the New Plymouth Budget Advisory Service)…

Otago Food Cost Survey

Each year the Department of Human Nutrition calculates the weekly cost of purchasing a healthy diet for men, women, adolescents, and children. Food cost data is collected by Student Dieticians in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin on the first Monday in March each year, and analysed in the Department of Human Nutrition. A standard protocol is followed. Since 2003 they have calculated the costs from four supermarkets in each centre. Wherever possible, supermarkets have been selected on the basis of the greatest consumer throughput in each centre. The costs presented have assumed that food would be prepared at home…

The Great Little Cookbook

It was Work and Income frontline staff who first suggested that families could benefit from a down-to-earth book that showed simple ways to choose, prepare and serve food that was healthy and inexpensive. It is the partnership of the Nelson Marlborough and West Coast District Health Boards with Work and Income’s Regional Office in Nelson that has brought this suggestion to fruition…