What are the 5 most common budgeting methods? 5 Ways to Budget Like a Pro

What are the 5 Most Common Budgeting Methods?

Making a budget is the first step to get a handle on your finances and start saving money. But with so many budgeting methods out there, it can be hard to decide which one is best for you. Here are five of the most common budgeting methods that can help you control your spending and achieve your financial goals.

1. The Zero-Based Budget

The zero-based budget is one of the most popular budgeting strategies as it puts every dollar in your income to work – every dollar has a job, either paying off debt or contributing to savings. To create a zero-based budget, start by listing all of your expenses and subtracting them from your total income. Then assign each dollar coming in to a specific spending category until you’ve reached zero. This type of budget ensures that you aren’t overspending, since all of your income should be accounted for before it’s spent at the end of the month.

Here are the steps to use the zero-based budget

1. Calculate your after-tax income.

2. Assign each dollar of your income to an expense or savings goal, ensuring that everything adds up to zero at the end.

3. Set aside some funds for variable expenses like groceries and entertainment, as well as savings goals like retirement or an emergency fund.

4. Track every purchase you make and budget according to what you spend in each expense category throughout the month.

5. Adjust your budget when necessary based on changes in income or expenses throughout the month.

2. The 50/30/20 Budget

The 50/30/20 budget was made popular by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and her daughter Amelia Warren Tyagi in their 2005 book ​All Your Worth​. This method calls for breaking down all after-tax income into three categories: needs (50 percent), wants (30 percent), and savings (20 percent). Needs include essentials like rent, groceries, utilities, insurance payments, and loan payments; wants cover nonessential items like eating out or going out; and savings includes retirement funds as well as emergency funds.

Here are the steps to use 50/30/20 budget

1. Calculate your after-tax income.

2. Allocate 50 percent of your income towards needs, such as rent or loan payments.

3. Allocate 30 percent of your income towards wants, such as going out to eat or entertainment expenses.

4. Allocate 20 percent of your income towards savings, such as retirement funds or an emergency fund.

5. Track where you spend each dollar carefully, making sure that all expenses fall into the allotted categories from step 2-4.

3 . The Pay Yourself First Method

The pay yourself first method flies in the face of traditional advice about saving whatever is left over after bills are paid – instead, it suggests making sure that you put away part of each paycheck towards savings or investments first, before anything else gets paid off. Many experts recommend setting aside 10-15% of each paycheck for long term investments such as retirement accounts or high yield savings accounts – though this amount depends on personal goals and financial obligations. Doing so helps ensure that you have money set aside for things like emergencies or retirement while also helping maintain a healthy credit score if long term debt obligations are paid off earlier than scheduled by utilizing this method.

Here are the steps to use the Pay yourself first method

1. Calculate your after-tax income.

2. Set aside money for essential expenses such as rent, food, and loan payments before allocating money towards other expenses or savings goals.

3. Automatically transfer a portion of your income each month into a savings account, retirement fund, or investment account before you have a chance to use it for discretionary spending.

4. Consider setting up an emergency fund to ensure you’re prepared should any unexpected expenses come up in the future.

5. Track your progress regularly and adjust your budget accordingly if needed.

4 . The Envelope System

The envelope system calls for dividing expenses into categories such as housing costs, transportation costs, entertainment costs etc., then placing cash for those categories into individual envelopes at the beginning of each month – when the cash runs out in an envelope then no more money can be spent from it until the following month unless it is borrowed from another envelope but must be repaid before next month rolls around . This system ensures that discretionary spending doesn’t exceed predetermined limits while also providing plastic free way to stay on top of monthly expenses – no credit cards required!

Here are the steps to use the envelope method

1. Calculate your after-tax income.

2. Create separate envelopes for each expense category such as rent, bills, groceries, etc.

3. Place cash in each envelope that corresponds with the amount allocated for that expense in your budget.

4. When making purchases throughout the month, dip into those envelopes rather than relying on a credit or debit card limit which can be easy to exceed.

5. Track your progress regularly and adjust your budget accordingly if needed.

5 . The Reverse Budget

The reverse budget starts with determining how much money should go towards savings and other investments each month , then deducting those amounts from total income prior to creating a budget – any remaining amount can then be used for everyday expenses including rent , groceries , utilities , subscriptions etc.. This type of budget allows users to plan ahead by making sure they hit their financial goals first rather than relying solely on willpower when temptation strikes . It also helps keep people accountable by aligning spending habits with overall financial objectives .

Here are the steps to use the reverse budget method

1. Calculate your after-tax income.

2. Allocate money towards savings goals and investments first, leaving enough for essential expenses such as rent and bills before allocating any money towards discretionary spending.

3. Automatically transfer a portion of your income each month into a savings account or investment account.

4. Consider setting up an emergency fund to ensure you’re prepared should any unexpected expenses come up in the future.

5. Track your progress regularly and adjust your budget accordingly if needed.

As you can see, there are a number of different ways to approach budgeting, and what will work best for you depends on your unique circumstances.  The most important thing is to find a method that works for you and stick with it. With a little time and effort, you’ll be well on your way to financial success. Hopefully this answered the question, what are the 5 most common budgeting methods.