The “50/30/20 rule” encourages you to only spend half of your monthly income on necessary expenses. Most budgeting templates are a zero-sum budget where you assign a budget category for each dollar you earn. You can modify the income and expense categories to fit your personal spending plan.Ĭheck out our Free Budget and Financial Planning Printables as well. Expenses – Groceries, giving, “His” and “Her” spending, vehicle and gas, etc.Housing expenses – Mortgage/rent, utilities, internet, insurance, etc.Income – You and your spouse’s (if applicable) monthly salary.The Starter Budget takes a monthly look at these categories: You can open the Starter Budget in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Using Well Kept Wallet’s own Starter Budget is free and saves you time. The digital alternative is manually logging each transaction into your spreadsheet.īuilding your own template can be effective, but it’s easy to overlook certain expenses. The simplest budget is writing your income and expenses on a piece of paper. These complex budgeting templates are “too smart.” ![]() Money Dials could include things like fitness, convenience, luxury items, travel, self-improvement , and social status.You may only need a basic budget template that lets you quickly compare your income and monthly expenses.Īdvanced spreadsheets may require too much effort to update or can be confusing to navigate. By honing in on your Money Dials-the things you really love to spend on-you can prioritize your spending in a way that makes sense for you. Following this logic, you categorize your expenses into essential fixed costs, important investments, savings goals, and-last but not least-guilt-free spending.īy allocating space in your budget for the fun stuff (minus the guilt), you’re more likely to stick to that budget in the first place. Instead, consider trying a conscious spending plan. The truth is that living a life of constantly telling yourself “no” isn’t sustainable (or enjoyable). Many people assume that effective money management means scrounging, saving, and never enjoying life. You might also have smaller, more short-term goals, like saving for your dream wedding or buying a luxury car. Smart money management can help you achieve those objectives. You likely have some financial goals in your life, whether it’s improving your net worth, paying off your college student loans, or achieving FIRE (financial independence, retire early). But without planning for expenses, a big income can lead to big debt. But it doesn’t have to be! I spoke with a couple in episode 114 of my podcast who overspent on holidays because their earnings combined were a lot. The entire point of these tools is to simplify money management so you can think about your money less, not more.įor many people, budgeting and planning for big expenses like vacations are a struggle. ![]() Simplified spreadsheets help develop your plan, and budgeting apps, like those that automate expense tracking, help you stick to it. ![]() Finally, you need to stick to your plan.īudgeting spreadsheets and tools are great resources for creating a conscious spending plan. You then need to decide how much money to allocate to each bucket. You need to start with a bullet-proof budget, categorizing all of your expenses into one of these four buckets: fixed costs, investments, savings, and guilt-free spending. Conscious spending is a great way to enjoy life while still building a financially secure future.
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