How to Budget
A budget isn’t about restriction—it’s about intention. This guide walks you through how to build a budget you can actually live with, whether you’re trying to save, pay off debt, or feel more in control of your money.
How to Budget: Step-by-Step
-
Set Your Financial Goals
Decide what you want your money to do—pay off debt, save for a car, cover bills with less stress? Clear goals give your budget purpose. -
List All Income Sources
Add up all income you expect this month—after taxes. Include regular paychecks, tips, benefits, or side income. -
Track and Categorize Your Expenses
Break expenses into “needs,” “wants,” and “savings/debt.” Start with rent, groceries, transportation, and build from there. -
Compare Income to Expenses
Subtract your total expenses from income. If you’re overspending, cut back in flexible areas like dining out or subscriptions. -
Adjust and Monitor Your Plan
Budgets aren’t one-and-done. Check in weekly or monthly, update for life changes, and revise when needed. Progress over perfection!
What to Expect When Creating a Budget
- Your first budget may not be perfect: It takes a month or two to dial in your real spending habits.
- You’ll gain peace of mind: Knowing where your money goes reduces anxiety and builds confidence.
- You might spot surprise expenses: Forgotten subscriptions or impulse buys often surface once you start tracking.
- Your goals will feel more real: Budgeting helps you connect daily choices to bigger financial wins.
- Adjustments are part of the process: Expect to revise your plan as income, goals, or expenses change.
Pro Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Start with what you know: Use your last 1–2 bank statements to build a realistic starting point.
- Don’t forget non-monthly expenses: Budget a little each month for things like car repairs, holidays, or annual fees.
- Give yourself grace: Missing your budget doesn’t mean you failed—it means you’re learning.
- Keep it simple at first: A basic budget is better than a perfect one you never use.
- Review weekly, not just monthly: Small check-ins help you stay on track and reduce surprises.
How Angela Built a Budget That Worked for Her
Angela, a 37-year-old single mom, had never used a formal budget. She paid bills when they came due, avoided credit cards, and hoped each month’s paycheck would stretch far enough. But after a surprise $600 car repair drained her savings, she knew she needed a plan.
She started small—writing down her paydays, fixed expenses, and estimated costs for food, gas, and school supplies. Using the 50/30/20 method, she realized she’d been spending almost 40% of her income on takeout, streaming, and impulse buys. No shame—just awareness.
Angela made three changes: she meal-prepped once a week, paused one subscription, and began transferring $25 every Friday to a “surprise fund.” She also created a backup budget in case her hours were ever cut again.
The result? Three months later, Angela had $450 saved, fewer money arguments at home, and the confidence to face her finances without fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best budgeting method?
How much of my income should go to savings?
Can I budget if my income changes month to month?
Do I need to budget every month?
What if I don’t stick to my budget?
Want Help Building a Budget That Works?
Our certified counselors are here to help you create a personalized budget you can actually stick to—no shame, no pressure, just support.
Talk to a CounselorHow to Budget
Take Control of Your Money, One Step at a Time
Budgeting made easy. Start with this simple guide to get your finances back on track.
How to Budget in 5 Simple Steps
1
Identify Goals
Set 3-5 financial goals, like saving for a down payment or paying off your debt.
2
Record Expenses
Estimate all your monthly expenses, including essentials and occasional costs.
3
Record Earnings
Estimate your net income for the month. List each expected source of money you may receive.
4
Calculate
Subtract your expenses from your income. This gives you your budget balance.
5
Fix Weak Spots
If expenses exceed income, adjust your spending or boost your income to stay balanced.
Before Starting Watch This Short Budgeting Video
Why Do You Need A Budget?
Maintaining a household budget is essential for your financial success. A budget helps you build wealth, manage your expenses, and stay on track with your financial goals. But before we dive in, let’s clarify what a budget really is and what it isn’t.
Myths & Realities of Budgeting
Many of us resist budgeting because of common misconceptions. Let’s clear up a few of these myths:
Myth #1: If I had more money, all my problems would be solved.
Reality: Managing your spending, no matter your income, solves more problems than simply earning more.
Myth #3: Balancing my checkbook is the same as budgeting.
Reality: A checkbook helps you track spending, but only a budget prepares you for future expenses like car repairs or medical bills.
Myth #2: Budgeting is only for people in debt.
Reality: Everyone benefits from budgeting—it’s a tool to stabilize finances and avoid future debt.
Myth #4: Budgets restrict my freedom.
Reality: Budgets give you more freedom by ensuring you prioritize your financial needs, like housing, food, savings, and transportation.
If any of these myths resonate with you, it’s time to shift your mindset. Remember:
“If you don’t control your money, it will control you.”
If You Live Within Your Budget, You Will be Much More Likely to:
Household Budget: Essential Rules for Planning Your Spending
A budget, or spending plan, is a tool to help you build financial stability and make progress toward your financial goals. While some may associate budgeting with restrictions, it’s really about ensuring you’re able to focus on what’s most important in your life.
How to Create a Personal or Household Budget
Set Financial Goals: Identify the key goals you want to achieve, such as saving for a vacation, paying off debt, or building an emergency fund.
Prioritize Your Spending: Rank your expenses from essential (housing, food) to non-essential (entertainment, dining out). This will help you align your spending with your goals.
Subtract Expenses from Income: After listing all of your expected income and expenses for the month, subtract your expenses from your income to see if you have a surplus or deficit.
Adjust as Needed: If expenses exceed income, adjust your spending or find ways to increase your income to balance your budget.
What is a Personal or Household Budget?
A budget is simply a plan for how you’d like to spend your money. Most people prefer to follow a monthly budget since most bills are paid monthly. However, depending on your preferences, you can create a budget weekly, bi-weekly, or even annually.
For households with bi-weekly paychecks, remember that twice a year, you may receive three paychecks in a single month. Consider using that extra paycheck to fund important goals like vacations, savings, or retirement.
The Five Budgeting Steps
Budgets are most successful when tied to specific financial goals, like saving for a vacation, paying off debt, or buying a home. Without a clear purpose, budgeting can feel like a frustrating math exercise. Goals give your budget meaning and keep you motivated.
When setting your goals, be specific. Identify:
- What you’re saving for (e.g., a new car, down payment)
- When you plan to make the purchase (include a date or timeline)
- How much money you’ll need (total and monthly savings needed)
To improve your chances of success, share your goals with someone you trust and track your progress regularly. Studies show you’re 71% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down and stay accountable.
While many budget templates start with income, it’s better to begin with your expenses. This ensures you focus on your real spending needs without being influenced by how much you earn. Starting with expenses helps you take a rational approach to where your money goes, making your budget more about priorities rather than just balancing numbers.
Fixed expenses like rent, mortgage, utilities, insurance, and subscriptions should be easy to list. Variable expenses like groceries, gas, and entertainment require a bit more estimation. Consider seasonal changes, holidays, and special events that may affect these amounts.
If you’re unsure how much you spend in certain categories, review recent bank statements and receipts. If that information isn’t handy, consider tracking every expense for the next 30 days. While this takes time, it provides an accurate picture of where your money is going.
After listing your expenses, it’s time to determine your expected monthly income. Always use your net income—the amount you take home after taxes and deductions—not your gross income. Gross income may look impressive, but it includes money you never actually see, like taxes and insurance premiums.
For most, net income is simply the amount on your paycheck. If you have variable or inconsistent income (like freelancers or small business owners), estimate on the lower end. It’s better to be pleasantly surprised with extra income than to fall short.
Now that you’ve listed your expenses and income, it’s time to do some simple math. Subtract your total expenses from your income:
- Positive result: You’re living below your means, which is great! This allows you to save and invest.
- Zero result: You’re living within your means, meaning you have just enough to cover your expenses but aren’t saving.
- Negative result: You’re living beyond your means and will need to make changes to avoid financial trouble.
To ensure long-term stability, aim to live below your means by saving and investing. If your result is near or below $0, consider adjusting your spending, increasing your income, or both to avoid running out of money before the month ends.
If your budget shows a negative balance, don’t jump straight to cutting expenses. While reducing spending is one way to balance your budget, increasing your income should also be considered.
Ways to Increase Earnings:
- Seek a better-paying job: Although this takes time, it can provide long-term income growth. Just be mindful not to increase spending as your income rises.
- Ask for a raise: If you’re earning less than others in your role, research comparable salaries and ask for a raise, presenting evidence of your contributions.
- Take on a second job: This can help in the short term, but avoid relying on it long-term to prevent burnout.
- Explore side hustles: Many side gigs can provide extra cash quickly. Find one that aligns with your interests and has the potential for short-term returns.
Adjusting Spending: If you need to reduce expenses, focus on cutting non-essential spending first:
- Start by reducing costs tied to long-term wants, then move to trivial wants like entertainment or dining out.
- If necessary, adjust your lifestyle expenses—like housing, transportation, and communication—if they are straining your budget.
Reevaluating your spending in these areas can help you avoid living beyond your means while achieving financial balance.
The Importance of Creating a Backup Budget
With layoffs on the increase and the national job market on unsteady feet, our financial futures can sometimes seem uncertain. When employees get laid off, too often it takes a week or two to get a psychological handle on the situation, which means that, financially, it may be too late to adapt.
Once you have a spending plan (budget) in place for your current situation, it’s time to create a “Backup Budget,” a plan you could put in place should you ever lose your income or have your income reduced. Your Backup Budget helps you prepare to pay for your basic needs and high-priority wants with any severance package or savings plan you might have.
Here’s how to create your backup budget:
1. Consider what sort of “Survival Resources” you’ll possibly have in order to fund your budget. It could include:
2. Decide which expenses you could live without in a pinch
Generally, these will include cable/satellite TV, streaming or other monthly services, entertainment, dining out, debt payments beyond the minimum requirements, children’s activities, tobacco, alcohol, lattés, gift-giving, charity, etc.
If you have children and are paying for daycare, look at reducing or eliminating this expense until you are employed full-time again.
For pet expenses, eliminate the gourmet pet food and “play toys” and reduce veterinary visits. Take advantage of being at home to spend more time with your pet(s).
3. Add up your survival expenses, which include:
4. Compare your new “Survival Expenses” with your “Survival Resources”
This will help you to determine how long you can afford to continue in such a survival mode. If your resources are too thin, endeavor to put more away into a savings plan now while you have income.
5. Finally, avoid the temptation to raid your retirement funds.
IRA’s 401(k)s and other accounts can often be accessed, but these actions carry stiff penalty fees.
The single biggest financial mistake people make when they are laid off or otherwise lose their current income is this: Failure to Adapt Quickly to Their New Reality.
Creating a backup budget will help you be ready in case of income reduction or elimination. Taking an hour or two to prepare one might save your financial life.
With these two budgets in place, you can feel rest assured that not only are you better fueling your life goals, but that come what may tomorrow, you’ll be ready!
Creating a Budget for Specific Life Events
Now that you’ve learned about building a household budget, let’s look at some of the items you can specifically budget for:
Getting Married
Shopping for Groceries
Purchasing a Home
Going on a Vacation
Home Remodels
Having a Baby
Going to College
Buying a Car
Moving Out
Those are just some of the areas you can build a budget for. You can save money by creating and sticking to a budget for various life events or expensive purchases.
Be Sure to Build a Budget That Works For You
Budgeting has many benefits, which we’ll get to later. First, assuming you’re not living by a budget, let’s discuss how you can build a budget you can live with and most importantly, a budget that works for you.
Budgets can falter for various reasons. Some are difficult to prevent such as a change in income, a loss of a job or cut in hours, unexpected expenses like vehicle repairs, medicals bills, and many others can create an immediate need to review and adapt your budget if necessary.
We believe that allowing yourself a regular cushion of funds can help augment certain unexpected expenses and make your budget easier to live within.
One popular method for creating a budget is to follow what is known as the 50/30/20 rule. Essentially, this budget recommends that you use 50% of your take-home income for necessities, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and paying the debt off.
Use the 50/30/20 budget calculator below to give yourself an idea of how your money would be allocated. You may find this approach is indeed doable and that you could save enough to mitigate any short-term unexpected expenses, thus making the budget one that works for you.
Use These Free Budget Calculators To Enhance Your Experience
These budget calculators are a perfect beginning point to help you understand and track where your money is going. They will help determine how much money you should apply to various categories and how much you can save.
