Budgeting for beginners
Your first budget doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to exist.
Plain-English help for making a budget you'll actually keep: find your real take-home pay, pick a method that fits how you think, spend less without misery and stick with it past month three.
- $1,600 Needs 50%
- $960 Wants 30%
- $640 Savings 20%
15 beginner guides
Start here
- Why a budget helps (even if you hate the idea)4 min read
- Work out your real take-home pay5 min read
- Track your spending for 30 days4 min read
- Needs, wants and savings: sorting your spending4 min read
Budget methods
- The 50/30/20 budget5 min read
- Zero-based budgeting: give every dollar a job5 min read
- The envelope method (cash or digital)4 min read
- Pay yourself first3 min read
Spending less
- The 15-minute subscription check3 min read
- Tame impulse spending4 min read
- Plan for bills that don't come every month4 min read
Sticking with it
- The monthly budget check-in3 min read
- Budgeting as a couple5 min read
- When your budget falls apart4 min read
- Budgeting with irregular income5 min read
Free download, no email needed
The Budget Starter Sheets
Everything for a first budget on paper: a take-home pay worksheet, a 30-day spending tracker, a one-page monthly budget, a yearly bills list and a bill calendar.
One simple budgeting step, every two weeks
The Copper Note: one small budgeting step, a ten-minute spending check and a reader question answered. Confirm by email, unsubscribe with one click, and we never send offers for loans or cards.