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Budget Guides

Everything you need to reduce costs and create a balanced budget - all on your own!

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Take financial improvement into your own hands with these comprehensive guides, designed to help you maximize your savings in each unique budget category. More guides will be added regularly, so check back often!
MMI Budget Guide: Create a Budget
Create a Budget
Learn how to create a budget and stick with it.
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MMI Budget Guide: Save Money on Groceries
Save Money on Groceries
Learn how to make your food dollar stretch.
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MMI Budget Guide: Earn Money in the Gig Economy
Earn Money in the Gig Economy
Increase your income with part-time gigs.
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MMI Budget Guide: Get Rid of Cable Television
Get Rid of Cable Television
How to cut the cord and watch TV for less.
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MMI Budget Guide: Reduce the Cost of Prescription Medications
Reduce the cost of prescription medications
Everything you need to know to find affordable prescription medications.
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MMI Budget Guide: Save on Home Insurance
Save on Home Insurance
Never overpay for home insurance again.
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MMI Budget Guide: Save on Car Insurance
Save on Car Insurance
Chances are good you could be paying less for car insurance.
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MMI Budget Guide: Reduce Cellphone Costs
Reduce Cellphone Costs
Keep your cellphone bills in check.
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MMI Budget Guide: Rebuild Your Credit
Rebuild My Credit
All the tools you need for building a positive credit history.
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MMI Budget Guide: Create a DIY Debt Management Plan
Create a DIY Debt Management Plan
Create your own do-it-yourself debt repayment program!
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MMI Budget Guide: Consolidate Your Debts
Consolidate My Debts
Everything you need to know about debt consolidation.
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MMI Budget Guide: Combining Finances After Marriage
Combine Finances After Marriage
Combine your finances while maintaining harmony.
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MMI Budget Guide: Prepare for Home Ownership
Prepare for Homeownership
Lay the groundwork before buying your first home.
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Homeowners guide icon.
Successfully Own a Home
A guide to managing the expenses and responsibilities of owning your first home.
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Keys to budgeting success

No matter where you're trying to reduce costs and create savings, there are a few helpful tips you should keep in mind to stay motivated and on task.

  1. Don't Overwhelm Yourself

    Trying to change everything at once can be difficult and demotivating. Focus on making changes one at a time.

  2. Celebrate Your Successes

    Don't forget to set small, incremental goals and take pride in reaching those goals. The big picture is important, but the road there can be long, so be proud of every step forward.

  3. Remember Why You Started

    We rarely set goals just for the fun of it. Don't forget the real reason you're making a change - the deeper emotional reason - and let that reason guide you through the occasional rough patches.
  • Better Business Bureau A+ rating Better Business Bureau
    MMI is proud to have achieved an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and improving marketplace trust. The BBB investigates charges of fraud against both consumers and businesses, sets standards for truthfulness in advertising, and evaluates the trustworthiness of businesses and charities, providing a score from A+ (highest) to F (lowest).
  • Financial Counseling Association of America Financial Counseling Association of America
    MMI is a proud member of the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA), a national association representing financial counseling companies that provide consumer credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, bankruptcy counseling, debt management, and various financial education services.
  • Trustpilot Trustpilot
    MMI is rated as “Excellent” (4.9/5) by reviewers on Trustpilot, a global, online consumer review platform dedicated to openness and transparency. Since 2007, Trustpilot has received over 116 million customer reviews for nearly 500,000 different websites and businesses. See what others are saying about the work we do.
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development - Equal Housing Opportunity Department of Housing and Urban Development
    MMI is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide consumer housing counseling. The mission of HUD is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD provides support services directly and through approved, local agencies like MMI.
  • Council on Accreditation Council On Accreditation
    MMI is proudly accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. COA’s thorough, peer-reviewed accreditation process is designed to ensure that organizations like MMI are providing the highest standard of service and support for clients and employees alike.
  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling National Foundation for Credit Counseling
    MMI is a longstanding member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), the nation’s largest nonprofit financial counseling organization. Founded in 1951, the NFCC’s mission is to promote financially responsible behavior and help member organizations like MMI deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.