A budget(预算)is a spending plan. It can help you spend money wisely, It can do this by cut- ting out wasteful spending. Of course, preparing a budget takes planning, and following a budget takes willpower(自制力). Your budget should meet your family’s needs and income. The first step in creating a budget is to set your goals. What does your family need and want You must know all that to work out the details of the budget. Never spend more than you can. Then decide which goals are the most important. The next step is estimating family income. Before you can plan wisely, you need to know how much money you have to spend! Write down all the money you expect to receive(wages, saving, interest, etc. )during the planned budget period. The writer suggests that it is a good idea to set aside some money because __________.A. you probably will not be able to follow your budgetB. people usually spend more than they plan to doC. one can hardly plan everything in advanceD. others may want to borrow some money from you

After you have calculated how much money will be available, it is time to estimate expenses. List all of your family expenses.If you are not satisfied with what you got for your money, look carefully at your spending. Studying your records will show where overspending has occurred. It will also point out poor buying habits.It is also a good idea to set aside a small mount of money for emergencies(紧急情况). Every family has small emergencies: a blown tire, a broken device, or the need for medical care.