A sample budget for a Muslim family | SoundVision.com

A sample budget for a Muslim family

The following budget form is largely based on information from a pre-marriage program developed for married Muslim couples by Muslim counselor Shahina Siddiqui, executive director of the Winnipeg, Canada-based Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA).

The Sakrs have had enough of living paycheck to paycheck and they want to start planning how they spend their money. They are a family of five: Mr. Sakr (the dad), Mrs. Khadr (the mom), Aneesa (7 year old daughter), Ameen (5 year old son) and Alia (2 year old daughter).

1. They first determine their family income:

Mr. Sakr is the main supporter of the family. He earns $50,000 a year (after taxes).

Mrs. Khadr works part-time and has generously agreed to devote her salary to her family (although she is not obligated to Islamically). She earns $10,000 per year (after taxes).

They have no other income.

Monthly income is $60,000 divided by 12=$5000.00

2. Then they have to list all of their expenses:

a. They subdivide this into three big categories: essential (what they need to survive), non-essential (what is not as necessary to survive) and savings.

For their family, the essential categories are

food
house
clothing
debts
utilities
credit card expenses
utilities
medical
dental
car and transportation
education
medical insurance
dental insurance
personal insurance

Under non-essentials, they have:

entertainment/recreation
gifts and charitable donations
savings

The essentials are usually easier to do if there is a set amount that must be given monthly or weekly, like rent, which is paid monthly.

If the figure is yearly, they simply take the figure and divide it by 12 to get the monthly average. For example, Aneesa and Ameen's Islamic school fees are paid at the beginning of the school year. The fee is $5,000 per student. In the Sakrs case, what they would do is take $10,000 and divide by 12 (which comes out to $833.33 per month on school fees).

b. each of the categories are then subdivided more specifically

Essentials:

Food
groceries....................................$300.00
(bulk Halal meat)..........................$ 80.00

House payments
-insurance...................................$100.00
-rent /payments.......................... $750.00
-taxes........................................$100.00
-furniture....................................$ 50.00

Utilities
-heating......................................$ 60.00
-hot water...................................$100.00
-gas..........................................$ 50.00
-basic telephone service....................$ 25.00
-internet access..............................$ 20.00

Clothing......................................$100.00

Household expenses
-household repairs...........................$ 50.00
-laundry bill..................................$ 75.00
-laundry detergent, etc.....................$ 20.00
-dry cleaning.................................$ 20.00

Credit card expenses
-MasterCard...................................$50.00
-VISA..........................................$50.00

Debts
-student loans................................$65.00

Zakah
-check with an Islamic scholar what the right formula would be. But keep this category here so that you remember you must pay Zakah

The Car and transportation
-insurance.....................................$100.00
-car payments.................................$ 75.00
-car maintenance...............................$50.00
-car operation-gas.............................$50.00
-parking (at Mr. Sakr's office)...............$30.00
-bus fare or school bus......................$200.00

Medical
-pharmaceutical................................$20.00
-Insurance.....................................$100.00
-expenses.....................................$100.00

Dental
-insurance......................................$50.00
-expenses......................................$50.00

personal insurance
since they are living in an apartment......$100.00
the Sakr have to pay this

Education expenses
for Aneesa and Ameen's Islamic school fees $833.33
registration for Islamic conferences.........$50.00
books for a home library.....................$20.00
school supplies................................$30.00

Grooming
-personal grooming things..................$100.00
(i.e. shampoo, soap, toilet paper)
_________________________________________
TOTAL FOR ESSENTIALS............ $3973.33

What is left for non-essentials then is:....$5000.00
.............................................. -$3973.33
_________________________________________
................................................$1026.67

Non-essentials

Entertainment/recreation
-fees for Ameen's hockey...................$70.00
-fees for Aneesa's painting lessons.........$80.00
-eating out twice a month...................$100.00
-memberships (YMCA)......................$50.00
-school trips..................................$ 50.00
-guests-dinner parties........................$100.00


Gifts and Donations to Islamic charities (Sadaqa)
- to the local mosque........................$200.00
-&Sound Vision Foundation)...............$50.00
-personal gifts (weddings, etc.)...........$100.00
_________________________________________________________
TOTAL FOR NON-ESSENTIALS......$620.00


$ 1026.67
- $ 620.00
_____________
$406.67-This money must go into savings and investments

Savings/Investments
-emergencies.............................$200.00
-kids college education fund...........$100.00
-to buy home without interest..........$100.00
___________________________________________________________
TOTAL SAVINGS......................$400.00

*You can give the $0.67 to charity, Insha Allah.

Some other budget tips

  1. See a chartered accountant and go over the budget with them. They can help you identify areas where you can save.
  2. Be on the lookout on how you can save to put more into your savings and investments. It does not have to be a drastic step. Changing shampoo or detergent brands, reducing the clothing budget to the essentials, these are some ways you can cut costs.
  3. Be flexible. Having a budget does not mean rigidly setting aside exact proportions always. If for instance, one month, the laundry machine is broken but the kids need new winter boots, the kids boots take priority, and the laundry machine will have to wait. You can get your laundry done at the local laundromat.
  4. Have everybody in on the budget depending on their age. Encourage kids to see ways they can cut costs in their activities or recreation, for instance. Or encourage mom to take up walking instead of paying a lot of money to join an all-women's swim club if it's getting too expensive. Encourage dad to cut television viewing by cutting off cable.

 

Photo Attribution: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dollar_bill,_small_change_and_ring._Wellcome_L0043996.jpg

 

Comments

Excellent,will work on it

Location

United Republic of Tanzania

we tire hard to earn our income a big portion of which goes to utilities and services (phone,long distance calling, Internet, cellphone, satellite TV, hydro, gas). The average of monthly bills for these services and utilities for a household is $500. That is $6000 per year. This a huge sum. If there is a way to have your own company that provides all of these essential services to people that they can't live without and run this company on a part-time basis, you can have all these services for FREE and make money as well. For more info, visit:http://www.turn-bills-into-wealth.com

Location

Ontario, Canada

This is a great being I don't have all those bills in my budget but if one is a student and does not have kids it still works well just look at the proof of the cost of the items and resources one needs to live and do the things they are sure to do month in and month taking into accountall listed items. Kids don't apply for me if one takes in to account that I am not a father but I am an uncle. This list tells me and shows what some call a ballpark figure for money being spent. This list taken in perspective tells me that I can do my best for neices total up to 9 in all that i can do more during sound visions great sales that I feel i want to buy but the time go shopping I'm worried about what is need most out of my wants. This gives better awarness of how to spend the money I have on the needs and that which I should be doing to teach my necies Islam close to and on each coast even if it just a care package from an Uncle to a budding young muslim girl who love's Allah but is confused on how to continue learning Islam to allow herself see the whole of the Islamic understanding of how to pray and how value what Allah has given us I say this budget is very important to me. If this allows to give more of my funds then that makes it most helpful. AS you can tell I like the strong perspective on paying for activites for children. In America the outside forces not in the home can have a grave affect on kids and young adult(teenagers). I Thank Allah for efforts of sound vision to build stronger finical muslim house holds through examples and advice. This can only get better through more statical research gathered information by census or by a simple sound vision survey. As Salaam Walakim

Location

Iowa city,IA ,USA

I generally love the site and most of the articles. I am not sure what city the 'budget' was made up for. I is simply not realistic in terms of rent, condo fees, car insurance, gas, parking, heating cost, internet.This would not work in a large Canadian city where rents are very high.

Location

toronto

Eventhough the budget planned is based on dollars. I got the various categories in which i can list my expenditure/savings for my currency(Indian Rupee). Maashaallah keep doing good and expect the reward from ALLAH.

Location

India-Chennai

As salam alaikum. Jazakilahu khair ameen to the person who wrote this artical. My marriage is on the rocks because my husband has failed to budget anything in our 2 yrs of being married, we recently had a child and he is still giving over 25 percent of his salery to his family and we are in major debt. this artical will help me to set the boundaries and get this marriage hopefully fixed where my childs rights are met.

Location

traveller

Alliamudullahi that ALLAH uses you and your organisation for these wonderful job for Al-Islam.May ALLAH rewards you with the best place of Al-Jannat Firdaoz.Please send the article on Budget for Islamic family and others to my e-mail box.Jazakunlahuaerun

Location

UGHELLI,DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

A very wonderful and educative write-up. It gives me a guide to save alot of money. Thanks to the author and Sound vision as well.

Location

Ashaka, Nigeria.

According to all of the financial advisors I had ever read or listened to, they said that in order to actually make money, is to pay yourself (savings account) first! The remainder can then be considered your budget for the month. You had it at the end, and most often people aren't left with any money to save at the end of the month because of improper budgeting. Just another point of view.

Location

S

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