And do this before the month starts so you can get ahead of what’s coming your way.īut once you get those first three steps on paper, it’s honestly way easier to keep up with it all when you’ve got an easy-to-use budgeting app like our personal BBFF (budgeting best friend forever), EveryDollar. Don’t forget month-specific expenses (like holidays or seasonal purchases). So, create a new budget every single month. Your budget won’t change too much from month to month-but no two months are exactly the same. Make a new budget (before the month begins). That means you’re tracking everything that happens to your money all month long! This is how you keep an eye on your progress and keep from overspending.ĥ. How do you stay on top of your spending? Track. Track your transactions (all month long). These next two tips will help you stick to it and make it actually work for you.Ĥ. You just need to cut spending (or increase your income!) until you get to zero. This is great! Then put those dollars toward your current Baby Step. Because you work hard for your money, people. What it does mean is that you’re giving all your money a job-paying the bills and moving you forward on your money goals. Leave a little buffer in there of about $100–300. No, this does not mean you let your bank account reach zero. When you do the math on your budget planner sheet, your income minus your expenses should equal zero. Add the planned amounts inside each box.

Write in anything you don’t see a spot for.

(You’ve probably noticed your online bank account is coming in real handy right now.)Īs you work through your monthly budget template:

Extras-like fun money and that helpful miscellaneous line.

Other essentials-like insurance and debt.

Four Walls-food, utilities, housing and transportation.

When it comes to all the monthly spending you need to plan for, you’ll see the budget worksheet goes in this order: Now that you’ve planned for what’s coming in, you need to plan for what’s going out: your giving, saving (depending on what Baby Step you’re on), and spending. Now you know how much money you have to work with this month. Now, add it all up and write in your total. (We’ve got a special irregular income budget template if you need it.) You can adjust later in the month if you make more.

If you’ve got an irregular income, take a look at what you’ve made the last few months and list the lowest amount as this month’s planned income budget line.

If you’re married, list out all the income for both of you.

Make sure you write in regular paychecks and anything extra, like that side hustle money.

Here are some quick callouts when it comes to this first step:

This is the proven plan to get ahead with your money-from saving more to paying off debt to building real wealth.ĭo you see the Planned column at the top of your Quick-Start Budget template? That’s where you list out all the money that’s coming in this month.

We’ve got three steps to set up that budget and two more to keep it going-each and every month.īefore you dive in, print out your Quick-Start Budget template and open up your online bank account!Īlso, heads up: We’re about to mention the Baby Steps a couple of times. You ready? (Yes, you are.)Ī budget template (or budget worksheet) is a great way to get everything on paper, right there in front of your eyes. There’s nothing like having clear directions to follow and step-by-step blanks to fill in to give you the confidence you need to get going on this budgeting journey. You know what can help? A budget template! Because a budget is a plan for your money-you tell it where to go, so you stop wondering where the heck it went.īut if you’ve never budgeted before, or it’s been a while, jumping in can be challenging. No matter what you want to do with your money, it starts with a budget.

Sample monthly budget for single person