Are you a cicada or an ant? In these times of crisis, managing your budget well is not a luxury. To help you, we suggest you discover kakeibo. This Japanese method is great for seeing your expenses clearly and saving money.
It’s crazy how rich the Japanese art of living is. In all spheres of one’s life, one can profitably discover more or less ancient methods. For a hundred years now, the Japanese have been using kakeibo or kakebo, literally “household finance book”to keep an eye on household expenses. How does kakeibo work? How to follow this method to better control your expenses?
Save money with kakeibo
You probably already know meticulous methods from Japan to live better on a daily basis. For example, if you like your home to be organized, chances are you’ve already heard of Marie Kondo’s Konmari tidying method.
Just as rigorous, here is the kakeibo method which will save you money.
What is a kakeibo used for?
As mentioned, kakeibo designates a financial book or account book. This is, of course, used to track your expenses, but not only that. The goal with kakeibo is to prioritize savings in order to provide yourself with more stability. And stability is, according to Japanese culture, an essential component of happiness.
In this notebook, halfway between the notebook and the diary, we clearly separate its budget in three categories : THE fixed expenses corresponding to recurring charges or invoices, thesavings and the other expenses. Other expenses are themselves divided into four subcategories:
Those of first necessity such as food shopping, medicines, transportation, etc.
THE optional or extra expenses like clothes, eating out, traveling, etc.
THE cultural and leisure expenses such as museums, books, cinema, exhibitions, shows, etc.
THE unforeseen such as a car or dishwasher breakdown, an event, etc.
Writing everything down in black and white allows you tohave an overview of your budget and save money every day. Indeed, kakeibo is a great way to plan your expenses. So, with all this information on your income and expenses, you will be able to set a savings goal. And stick to it!
Make your own kakeibo
It is possible to get a kakeibo in your favorite bookstore. But to start saving money, you might as well make one yourself! To do this, bring a nice notebook and your best pen.
Fill your kakeibo
On the first pageat the very top, note all of your income such as your salary, your turnover if you are self-employed, various aids, etc. Under income, list your fixed expenses like rent and all bills.
On the second page, opposite, note the amount of savings that you want to achieve. By simply subtracting fixed expenses and desired savings from income, you will get the amount of money available for the coming month.
Then, below, note, as regularly as possible (twice a week minimum), each of your expenses by classifying them in each of the four categories mentioned above.
Finally, and this is where the method goes beyond the simple fact of “ do your accounts “, comes the moment of with.
Objective achieved?
Yes, once the kakeibo has been carefully filled out, you know exactly how much you spend per item, how much money you have and you have established your savings goals.
With all these elements in front of you, you can now decide (or not!) to improve your budget management.
Kakeibo – my account book to manage my budget and savede Fumiko Chiba Kakeibo: a method from Japan to learn how to manage your budget in order to be able to save sustainably. Calculate the money you need to satisfy your deepest desires, then fill out monthly tables that allow you to visualize expenses. A way to take a step back from your expenses, to better control them and allocate them to focus on your objectives.
