Once you have all your expenses and their amounts recorded, the next step is separating your expenses up into the three categories.Ĭlassify them using the information above into your Needs, Wants, Savings and Debts. Don’t hide or fail to include expenses, you are only hurting yourself! Step 3: Categorize Your Expenses This most important part of a budgeting exercise is to be completely honest with yourself. Plan on reviewing credit card statements, bank statements, ATM withdrawals, rent or mortgage payments, car insurance, health insurance, groceries, gas, memberships, online shopping, bar tabs, entertainment, retirement contributions, etc. Gather and review all your expenses for the prior month. Those with more seasonal work can use their prior years’ tax returns to get a yearly average and then divide by 12 for your monthly income. If you work off commission or have very seasonal work, make sure to take this into account when calculating your monthly income.Ī conservative average of your last 3-6 months income should give you a rough estimate. Tip: Those who do not collect a steady paycheck every other week, like a standard 9-to-5 job, may have a more challenging time calculating income. Once, you have this number, set it aside for later. This is to ensure you are dividing up the total amount properly. The purpose of adding back your deductions is to track your total monthly income that you are working with. This should include any retirement or healthcare plan deductions that are taken out each pay period. Next, add back any paycheck deductions from the above value. This is the money you receive as a paycheck each month after taxes and any deductions are removed. Your first step towards creating a monthly budget is to calculate your after-tax income. How to Create a Budget Using the 50/30/20 Rule Step 1: Calculate Your Income Still having trouble figuring out What Expenses to include in a Monthly Budget check out this post. In this case, $25 would be added to the 50% Needs and $125 would go into the 20% Savings and Debts. However, you are able to contribute an extra $125 per month toward the balance. You have a $5000 credit card debt that has a $25 minimum payment. All extra payments beyond the minimums will be classified into “Savings and Debts.” These minimum payments will go into the “Needs” category. The savings and debts category is meant for setting money aside for the future and paying off any loans or debts owed.Ĥ01(k), Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Emergency Fund, CDs, Money Markets, All Debts beyond Minimum Payments: Credit Card, Student Loans, Car Payments Note:Īll debts have a minimum monthly payment to fulfill in order to not take a hit on your Credit Score. Unfortunately Wants are usually the starting place for budget problems! 20% Savings and Debt Clothes, Shoes,Jewelery),Dining Out, Entertainment, Travel Netflix, Amazon Prime, Costco), Vacations, Luxury Items (i.e. Internet Plan, Cell Phone Plan, Monthly Subscriptions (i.e. Wants may include, but are not limited to: They are usually expenses that add to your quality of life, but aren’t deemed completely necessary. Wants are considered extra expenses that are not needed in order to live and work on a monthly basis. Credit Cards, Student Loans, Car Loans) 30% Wants Housing, Groceries, Basic Clothing, Healthcare, Transportation, Childcare, Minimum Debt Repayments (i.e. They include expenses that you cannot avoid on a monthly basis. Needs are expenses that are vital to living. Let’s do a quick analysis of those categories. Higher earners may want to lower their 30% Wants categoryĪ budget plan using the 50/30/20 Rule of thumb breaks down your expenses into three separate categories:.Those living in ultra-high rent areas may find the budget a bit challenging.Possibly not aggressive enough budget for paying down debt or racking up savings.Budget easily highlights if any changes need to be made.One of the simplest of all budgeting methods.If you’re brand new to budgeting or have tried a method too complicated for your tastes, this is the budget for you! It is a great introductory budgeting technique that gives guidance on how much to allocate toward different expenses throughout the month. This budget can work well for college students, young professionals, and families alike. The 50/30/20 Budgeting Method is best for those who wish to keep things simple. Creating a monthly budget is a terrific money management technique to get and keep your finances on track throughout the year. Your obvious goal in budgeting is to always keep your income greater than your expenses. An estimated prediction of your income vs expenses over a defined period of time.
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