15 guides
Budgeting guides
Plain-English guides to building and keeping a budget. General information only, not personal financial advice. We don't earn commissions from banks or apps.
Getting started
Track spending, take-home pay and your first budget.
- Track your spending first
One month of honest numbers.
- Know your take-home pay
Budget with what lands in your account.
- Fixed and flexible costs
What you can change this month, and what you can't.
- Your first budget
One page, one month.
Methods
50/30/20, zero-based, envelopes and paying yourself first.
- The 50/30/20 budget
Needs, wants and savings.
- Zero-based budgeting
Give every dollar a job.
- The envelope method
Spend only what's in the envelope.
- Pay yourself first
Save before you spend.
Habits
Weekly check-ins, irregular costs, overspending and fun money.
- The weekly money check-in
Ten minutes that keep a budget alive.
- Plan for irregular expenses
The bills that aren't monthly.
- When you overspend
Adjust, don't abandon.
- Budget for fun
A budget with no fun doesn't last.
Tools
Paper, spreadsheet or app, bank alerts and common mistakes.
- Paper, spreadsheet or app?
The best tool is the one you'll use.
- Use bank alerts
Let your bank warn you.
- Common budget mistakes
And easy fixes.