如何 当你的收入波动时做预算

One of the most difficult budgeting situations is for families and couples with income that fluctuates, 包括佣金销售的人, 个体户, 或者企业主.

When you receive a regular paycheck, it’s easier to create – and stick to – a budget. 你可以在钱进来的时候花钱. But when your income varies every month, you can run into problems.

When you have a high-income month, there’s enough money for everything you need. But during less productive months, you can run into major problems.

收入波动的人 需要预算 ——甚至比拿固定工资的人还要多. Many people on variable incomes get trapped into debt because they borrow during lean months and spend what they make during high-income months, 而不是为更少的月份存钱.

Here are the steps you can take to keep things in better order if this is your situation.

识别 每月的费用

Before you can start budgeting, you need to examine 你的日常开支是多少啊.

以下是最受欢迎的类别:

• 住房
• 运输
• 保险
• 照顾孩子
• 水电费及其他帐单
• 偿还债务
• 食品杂货
• Entertainment (including streaming services)
• 礼品及慈善捐款
• 旅行

You can use a pen and paper or a spreadsheet, which can make it easier to add up your monthly costs. Make sure to actually use the real figures – don’t estimate these numbers. You can review your bank or credit card statements from the past few months to get a realistic average.

Once you have all the categories, add up the figures to get the total average amount spent per month.

估计 平均年收入

An easy way to find your 平均年收入 is to use data from your most recent tax return. 然而, that can also be out of date if you’ve changed jobs since then, 或者如果你的收入发生了变化.

If you use bookkeeping software or spreadsheet to track your income, 找出你过去12个月的收入. Then, divide that figure by 12 to find your average monthly income.

That figure is what you can use to develop your monthly budget. If one of the months you had was a high outlier, you can decide to exclude that just to be as realistic as possible.

集 收入专款

When you receive your income, deposit the entire amount into a savings account each month.

如果你已经有了一些积蓄, keep it in this savings account because it will help serve as a buffer for leaner months – even $1,000 can make a big difference and help you cover expenses as usual.

如何处理高收入的一个月

If there is money left over from a high-earning month, leave it in your savings account instead of spending it. Over time, this will build your buffer, which you’ll need during lean months.

撤回 适当预算收入

一个月一次, transfer only your needed monthly income from your savings account into your checking account. 例如, if your 每月的费用 are $4,800 per month, you could set up an 自动转换 from your savings account (where your income is deposited) into your checking account each month.

If you have some bills that are relatively similar each month (such as your car insurance, 手机话费单, 水费), you may also consider using a separate account (other than your checking account) to hold these funds. That way, when these bills come due, you always have the money to pay them.

例如, if your utility bills and 手机话费单 total around $300 each month, you might set up an 自动转换 of $300 each month to a savings account, while the rest of your 每月的费用 – which now total $4,500 after deducting the $300 – go into your checking account.

下面是一个月的例子:

在上面的例子中, you’d have an additional $152 in your money market account for this month ($4,952减去4美元,500减去300美元). As a reminder, leave this money in your savings account and resist the urge to spend it. It will serve as a buffer during the lean months.

If there is still money there at the end of the year, you can distribute it to another savings account, 就像一个献给你的 应急基金, or make an extra contribution to your retirement account.

延迟资金 一些费用

If you have a low-income month – or several in a row – see if you can avoid paying for something that’s not necessary.

例如, you can often delay 一些费用, such as clothing, saving for a vacation, or gifts. You can fund these later when there’s more income.

不要忘记 工资税

The self-employed need to be extra cautious when developing a budget, because they need to set funds aside for taxes. 每个月, they should take a percentage of their earnings and put it in a separate savings account. 然后，当时间到了 按季度缴纳预估税，这笔钱将很容易获得.

Failure to save for quarterly taxes can wreak havoc on a budget and make it harder to 管理你的财务. And if you don’t pay your quarterly taxes, you’ll likely have a huge tax bill at the end of the year.

保持 单独营业费用

当你是个体经营者时, it’s crucial to separate your personal expenses from your business-related expenses, 比如旅行, 汽车保养, 或者从家庭开支中支付餐费.

如果可以的话, you should open separate checking accounts and separate credit cards to use only for business expenses. 这也会 简化纳税申报流程.