Q: My husband and I recently got married. We want to create a successful family budget that will help us stay on track with expenses and meet our financial goals. What do we need to do?

A: You are certainly starting off on the right financial foot by creating a realistic budget for the two of you. A budget is the blueprint for a family's financial future. It can help you to manage your income, control spending, prepare for large periodic expenses and make it easier for you to set aside funds for emergencies.

Budgeting your finances can be a challenge, but it becomes easier as you go along. Follow these four easy steps to help you and your husband successfully budget your money.

• Compute your income. Count all of your regular income from all sources: take-home pay, part-time job, support, alimony, Social Security, etc. Do not include overtime, bonuses or other irregular payments. Count only the income from four-week months. If you are paid weekly or biweekly, you will receive extra paychecks during some months because of the way the calendar falls. Deposit these extra paychecks into savings. Don't base your budget on them.

• Add up your monthly expenses. List all fixed (i.e. rent and loan payments) and variable (i.e. food and utilities). Don't forget periodic expenses -- which can be fixed or variable, but which occur irregularly (i.e. quarterly tax payments, insurance premiums, clothing, etc). If necessary, research your expenses by using checkbook registers, credit card statements, utility bills, etc.

• Track your daily expenses. An important part of budgeting is keeping track of your spending -- the small everyday costs that no one thinks about. For example:Do you go out to lunch every day? Do you get a coffee every day? Do you play the lottery? These small expenses add up. By keeping track of your daily expenses, you will find out where your money goes and be able to identify areas where you can reduce spending. For one month, keep track of every expense you make. Ask for receipts for every purchase and record every expense, no matter how small.

• Compare the total outlay of your expenses with your total income. If your expenses equal or less than your income, that's great! Continue to monitor your spending from time to time, and adjust to suit your financial goals. If your expenses exceed your income, you'll need to take action. Pick the strategy that best suits your situation. Increase your income, decrease your expenses or do a combination of both.