Creating a budget is the first step in painting a picture of how you are travelling financially at this point in time...
Once you know the answer to that question, you are in a position to make a plan and set your own financial goals.
This is a simple budget format that you can follow on your own...
In the past year, 2,424 people have had to be turned away by the mission's financial counselling service Creditline, the organisation's 2007-08 annual review shows.
Spokesman Graeme Cole said within 30 minutes of opening its counselling hotline each Monday morning, appointments were booked for up to three weeks in advance.
"Demand is outstripping supply. Financial stress is a common denominator across demographics," he said.
Mr Cole said government and corporate support had increased during the past few years but more resources were needed for financial counselling, community education and early intervention programs to prevent younger people experiencing financial hardship in later life.
"The demands on Wesley Mission will continue to grow as the economic and housing situation worsens," CEO, the Reverend Keith Garner, said.
"While Australia has undergone unbridled prosperity during the past decade, there are many people in the community who have not shared in this growth and will continue to struggle in the foreseeable future."
Create Your Own Budget