Prepare a budget

You don't need a lot of money to start investing - you just need to get organised. Before anything else, work out your budget. It's not hard to do, it's simply a matter of working out how much is coming in and what is going out. It will probably only take you a short time to do - but the benefits may last for years.
Take control of your wallet

Balance it out
Income includes salary, bonuses, benefits, rent received, distributions, dividends, an inheritance or redundancy payments. Against this you can plot your fixed outgoings such as rent, mortgage, insurances and services, and discretionary purchases.
  
Go guilt-free
A budget is not created to make you feel guilty about doing things you enjoy. It will simply outline how much you can afford to spend, and what is left over to invest. A budget will actually empower you, not stop you having fun.
Take it out before you miss it
If you don't know it's there, you can't spend it. You can have your regular investments automatically deducted from your bank account each month. It's an easy way to maintain the discipline of regular investing.

Find out how to set up a BT Regular Investment Plan in our 'Products' section.
Woman standing on a balcony
Find easy cuts
You would be surprised how much you spend on discretionary purchases, like buying lunch every day, coffees or magazines. There's usually some easy trims you can make to save money, like bringing lunch to work.
Don't deprive yourself
You don't want to deprive yourself of the things you most enjoy, otherwise your budget will be hard to stick to. It's better to be realistic about what you can sacrifice.
  
Leave a margin
It's not a good idea to plan to invest all of your available money. Allow a margin to cover unexpected expenses. You can always top up your investments if you have some extra cash.
BT's budget worksheet
There's no need to reinvent the wheel. For a simple and easy way to work out a budget, download the BT Budget Worksheet (XLS, 460KB) to your computer. You can then customise it and update it over time as your circumstances change.
BT's best-sellers
Check out these two best-selling books by authors from the BT Financial Group
  • "The Woman's Money Book" by Vivienne James has already helped thousands of Australian women take charge of their finances
  • "The Couple's Guide to Money" by Linda Gough shows couples how to make the most of their financial power as a couple

To order email BT with your name, postal address, and the title and quantity of books required.

Find out more about investment
Download a copy of Investing Truths (PDF, 279 KB).
Find a financial adviser using BT's Adviser Referral Program.
Learn about BT's Investment funds.