Maybe this month, you’re renting a movie and getting frozen pizzas to eat at home instead of going out for dinner and a movie (which actually sounds really nice anyway). Start with the essentials, like insurance, debt and childcare.įinally, give yourself a miscellaneous line and budget for nonessentials, like TV streaming services, restaurants, adult kickball league fees, subscription boxes and personal spending.īut remember-if you have an irregular income, you may not be able to enjoy certain extras every month.įor example, if you have a month of lower income, that might mean you have to cut spending in places like your entertainment category. Then, budget for all your other monthly expenses. And if you don’t have an emergency fund yet, make savings your next priority.Īfter that, focus on covering what we call the Four Walls: food, utilities, shelter and transportation. We believe in giving 10% of your income to your church or a charity. Now, before you dive into the bills and everything else, set aside money for giving. That’s right, it’s time to list your expenses. Okay, once you’ve planned for all the money coming in, it’s time to prep for all the money going out. Because listen, making-and keeping-a monthly budget is way easier with EveryDollar. And put that in as your income.īy the way, if you want to start off using pencil and paper, check out our Irregular Income Budget Planning form! It can really help to write out and see those numbers in black and white (or whatever color ink you use).īut then, we think you should upgrade your experience by downloading EveryDollar, our free budgeting app. If this is your first time working on commission or living on an irregular income, don’t worry! For now, estimate what your lowest month will look like. What’s the lowest you’ve made in the last few months? Go with that. To find your starting point, look back at some past pay stubs. But guessing high and having to back off later-that’s spells trouble. ![]() Why? Because if you budget low, you can always go up from there. It’s way better to start low than to start with an average. ![]() That’s right-you should set up your budget based on your lowest monthly income estimate. If you’ve got an irregular income, plan low. It takes a little getting used to, but it isn’t hard if you follow these six steps. ![]() Plenty of people work hourly or commission-based jobs or have side gigs that change up their income every month.īut you can-and should-budget every month, irregular income or not. So, maybe you’ve got an irregular income-meaning you don’t make the same amount of money every paycheck.
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