In fact, the best strategies to budget are frequently the most basic. What is the 50-20-30 budget rule?īudgeting does not have to be difficult, nor should it eat up hours of your time. If Your Pay Varies: If your pay varies due to tips, varying hours, and/or commissions, you can still compute an expected monthly income by adding three months of income and dividing by three. Divide this figure by 12 to calculate your monthly income. If you are paid weekly: Multiply your weekly compensation by the number of weeks in a year: 52. Then multiply this figure by 12 to get your monthly income. If you are paid biweekly: Double your take-home pay for one paycheck by the number of paychecks in a year, which is 26. Here’s how to determine what your monthly take-home income is: Any money that you get on a regular basis can be considered revenue for your monthly budget. Include other sources of income, such as social security, disability, pension, child support, regular interest or dividend earnings, and alimony, when computing income.
Your take-home pay is the amount of money you have available to spend or save in addition to what you may already be contributing to a retirement account at work. When it comes to budgeting, take-home pay is the only thing that matters.