When it comes to making financial progress, we can all agree that saving for the future is a critical part of the equation. But how much are you supposed to be socking away exactly?

The true strength of a relationship isn't tested when circumstances are easy, but when they are dire. Over the weekend, my partner and I embarked on a journey that would test our mettle. Our ability to communicate, compromise, and show patience toward one another is what held us together through the trying ordeal, but one thing is for certain: Going to IKEA with your significant other ain't no joke.

If there's one personal finance mantra that everyone can agree on, it's decrease your discretionary spending. Skip those flat whites! Pack those lunches! Wait until the movie's on Netflix!

Nobody is immune to layoffs. Whether you're an executive or an entry-level hire, layoffs can - and probably will - affect you at some point in your career. Consultants and freelancers have a bit of a buffer thanks to their multiple income streams, but when their industry suffers, they suffer too. (There's nothing like losing four clients in a single month.)

Struggling to stick to a monthly budget (or even make one in the first place)? Consider creating a biweekly budget instead.

Food spending has always been my go-to for budgetary belt-tightening. Not everyone is laying out for luxuries that can be cut, but everyone eats, and almost everyone could spend a little less doing it.

In 2017, for the first time in my life, I actually stuck to a resolution. What's more, I'd failed at the same resolution -- to make a budget and stick to it -- for many previous years. Now, if you think there's something shameful in a grown person not being able to handle her finances, you're right!

When we rounded up our staff's Weekly Upgrades last Saturday, our editors were untangling pesky headphone cords, basking in true crime TV, baking puff pastry, and finally closing out our excess browser tabs.

A few weeks I ago, I presented a technology session to the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees. In that, I decided to focus on five megatrends I though they should keep an eye on rather than being subject to the short-term bumps we see when a new device or service is released. After all, as exciting as the release of a smartphone might be, it's unlikely to change your IT strategy.

As Gartner moves towards their annual Symposium/Expo events, they have identified three key megatrends through analysis of the Hype Cycle. Let's see if they agree with me.

iOS: I have never been great at managing my money. But now that I'm about to become a dad, I've suddenly found it imperative to know where it's all going. Yes, there are plenty of well-regarded budgeting and expense tracking apps out there, such as You Need a Budget (YNAB) and PocketBook. My wife and I use the former for our household budget, and it's great at what it does -- allowing us to see our running spending by category, set up automatic bill payments, keep track of our incomes, and plan for savings.

Your monthly budget for things like food, utilities or other variable expenses is more often a guideline than a calculation. If you're frequently exceeding those budgets, don't keep lying to yourself and adjusting to fit the narrative. Adjust your budget instead.

Frugality is about getting the most value out of your money, but a lot of us aren't good at it. If you want to learn to be more frugal, start with the ERR strategy.

In general, we want our kids to be better people than we are. We insist they eat their vegetables and then break out the chocolate after they go to bed. We teach them to floss as we run a tongue over our many fillings. We counsel "forgive and forget", even as we ruminate on the splotchy-faced woman who wouldn't let us into traffic as we were pulling out of an car dealership in 1997.

It's hard to stick to your budget when you travel, especially if you have kids who want souvenirs or gifts that can add up. Instead, consider loading a prepaid card before your trip and giving it to your kids, or using it to cap your own souvenir spending.

Most of us suck at budgeting, and it's not like it's hard because of the maths. It's easy to crunch the numbers and come up with a spending plan. It's the behavioural part that trips us up.

The best part about cooking at home -- besides the tasty food -- is all the money you can save. If you want to get even more out of your food budget, this free cookbook has tons of tasty recipes that will save you cash without sacrificing flavour.

Here's a little exercise for you to try out. Take out your latest credit card bill from your most frequently used credit card. Print it out if it's an electronic bill; otherwise, just grab a pen and put the bill on the table in front of you.

Your dollar goes further in certain cities, depending on the cost of housing and the cost of living in general. If you're unfamiliar with an area, you may not know how to budget your life accordingly. The Earth Awaits helps build a custom budget specific to cities all over the world.

Money problems will stress anyone. However, your budget shouldn't be adding to the stress. It should be removing it. If your budget plan is causing you more stress than it's relieving, you might want to consider changing it.