Budgeting Basics

Even if you don’t keep track of every single expense every month, calculating a monthly budget can give you a good overview of your regular income and expenses, as well as a general idea of how you should allocate your money each pay period.

What Ifs

Do you know how much you spend on unnecessary items every month?

If you…	…then you…	That money could pay for…
…overdraft your debit card/checking account twice per month…	…will spend $720 per year on fees.	…6 years of a streaming subscription fee, OR 14 dinners out, OR 9-10 month of your cell phone bill.
…spend $100 from every bi-weekly paycheck on new clothes and manicures…	…will spend $2,600 by the end of the year.	…college tuition, OR 1/4 of a decent used car, OR a 1-2 week international trip.
…buy a $5 latte from the coffee shop every weekday…	…will spend $1,300 by the end of the year.	…a high-quality laptop, OR 1-4 months of rent, OR a weekend getaway at a resort.

This is why it’s important to decide what expenses are a priority to you and create a budget so you can spend responsibly when your paycheck arrives.

What should my budget contain?

When making a budget, you should include:

- All household income

- Recurring expenses (such as rent/mortgage, loan payments, phone/internet/streaming subscriptions, etc.), and

- Necessities (such as gas, toiletries, groceries, etc.)

No budget is exactly the same. Your best friend’s budget, your parents’ budget, and yours will all have different income, expenses, and necessities based on how much money you make, where you live, your subscriptions, your vehicle, your commute, if you have kids/pets or not, etc. Because of this, while you can use other budgets as a guide in creating your own, yours will ultimately be unique.

Download Budget Template

Budgeting Basics

What Ifs

If you…

…then you…

That money could pay for…

…overdraft your debit card/checking account twice per month…

…will spend $720 per year on fees.

…6 years of a streaming subscription fee,
OR
14 dinners out,
OR
9-10 month of your cell phone bill.

…spend $100 from every bi-weekly paycheck on new clothes and manicures…

…will spend $2,600 by the end of the year.

…college tuition,
OR
1/4 of a decent used car,
OR
a 1-2 week international trip.

…buy a $5 latte from the coffee shop every weekday…

…will spend $1,300 by the end of the year.

…a high-quality laptop,
OR
1-4 months of rent,
OR
a weekend getaway at a resort.

What should my budget contain?

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Budgeting Basics

What Ifs

If you…

…then you…

That money could pay for…

…overdraft your debit card/checking account twice per month…

…will spend $720 per year on fees.

…6 years of a streaming subscription fee,OR14 dinners out,OR9-10 month of your cell phone bill.

…spend $100 from every bi-weekly paycheck on new clothes and manicures…

…will spend $2,600 by the end of the year.

…college tuition,OR1/4 of a decent used car,ORa 1-2 week international trip.

…buy a $5 latte from the coffee shop every weekday…

…will spend $1,300 by the end of the year.

…a high-quality laptop,OR1-4 months of rent,ORa weekend getaway at a resort.

What should my budget contain?

Reap the rewards of being a member.

Contact Us

Mobile App

…6 years of a streaming subscription fee,
OR
14 dinners out,
OR
9-10 month of your cell phone bill.

…college tuition,
OR
1/4 of a decent used car,
OR
a 1-2 week international trip.

…a high-quality laptop,
OR
1-4 months of rent,
OR
a weekend getaway at a resort.