BREAK IT DOWN.

• Separate budgets into categories to make estimating easier.
• Make realistic predictions of required resources for each category.
• Create spreadsheets to capture budget details. Use the calculating functions for accuracy and to make it easier to adjust the budget.

SUMMARIZE AND EVALUATE.

• Organize budget details so they can be summarized by category and time period.
• Analyze the results of your predictions. Make adjustments where needed.
• Print out summary and category detail reports. Staple the summary to the front of the detail pages. Use a Colored Expanding File to organize budget reports for an entire year. The dividers keep reports separated by month and quarter.
• Keep the budget file in a file drawer with the flap open. Close the flap when transporting the file.

MONITOR AND COMPARE.

• Review the budget regularly to compare actual figures with your budget predictions.
• Print periodic summary reports. File in the appropriate section of the expanding file.
• Make adjustments if actual figures vary from budget expectations. Submit for approval if needed.

1. Colored Expanding File