Budgeting

A budget is a plan for the money you already have. That’s all. It doesn’t need an app, a finance degree or a color-coded binder, though a binder is fine if that’s your thing.

Start with the guides below if you’ve never stuck to a budget before. They walk through one paycheck at a time: what comes in, what has to go out, and what’s left to decide. If you’re paid every other week, the bi-weekly method is usually the one that finally works, because it matches your bills to the check that actually pays them.

Every guide here pairs with a printable you can fill in by hand and a Google Sheet that does the adding up.