TOPIC 1 - 1.2 Individual budgeting and
financial planning
Budgeting refers to short-term, medium-term and long-term plans detailing
expected income and expenditure.
The government publishes an annual Budget, which is an estimate or forecast of the income from
taxation that it expects to receive over the coming year.
Companies estimate annual income for sales, and expenditure
on wages, raw materials and other costs which they will use to
predict whether the company is going to make a profit or a loss.
For individuals drawing up a budget or a cash flow forecast for short term, medium term or
long-term financial plans, allows them to think of all of the things that they need or want over
different time periods and how much these will all cost.
They can then estimate their income, wages, benefits,
gifts and allowances,over the relevant period and work
out whether that income will be enough to cover the
expenditure.
If an individual is heading towards deficit they can n take steps, such as
reducing planned expenditure, increasing income or plan to take out
an overdraft in order to balance out the budget.