Having a family budget can be important because when a family's expenses are being carefully monitored, it is less likely that a family will outspend their earnings, and more likely that they will save money. If a family is in debt, saving money is an important part of removing that debt. It is possible that if there was a budget in place before the debt happened, the family may not be in debt at all. Budgets are like plans, and it can sometimes be helpful to have a plan for managing money.