First, it helps you live within your means. Having a budget is important for two reasons. Budgeting also lets you see how much you're spending in different categories. Household Budget BasicsĪ budget lets you manage how much you're spending relative to how much you're earning. With our interactive budget calculator you can see how people like you in your zip code are budgeting based on factors including the number of adults and children in the household and the size of the household's annual income. We offer advice on how to streamline your budget, how to fix your budget and how to stick to your budget. Here at SmartAsset we talk a lot about budgets.