Hi there, I’m fairly new to budgeting. I’ve tried many times before, but it never lasts more than a month or two. I’m not the most mathematical person, and while I understand the concept of a zero-based budget, some aspects confuse me. I’m hoping someone can help clarify. My first question: I just started using a creator’s Google Sheet template that tracks my annual budget and expenses month to month for 2025. As I input data, I’m trying to ensure every penny leftover from January goes towards extra payments on my credit card debt. However, I ran into issues tracking my income for January. I got paid at the end of December, and I had some charges between December 26th and January 1st, which complicates things. How can I accurately know how much money will be leftover at the end of the month? Should I just wait and check my balance on the last day of January? My second question is about my pay schedule. I’m paid bi-monthly, typically on the 14th and a day or two before the end of the month. My base salary is stable, but since I’m in sales, my last paycheck includes commission, which varies. Right now, I budget as if I’ll only receive my base salary and then update my income once I know the exact amount of that last paycheck, counting it as income for the following month. Is that correct? It feels chaotic trying to understand where my money is coming from and how much I truly have leftover. What am I not understanding or doing wrong?
Firstly, check out Aspire Budget. It’s a simple Google Sheet, free to use, and designed for zero-based budgeting. If you’re looking for an app, I built Centsible, which is a one-time purchase for offline use and uses envelope budgeting. Happy to help if you have questions. Good luck!
To know how much you’ll have leftover at the end of the month, enter every transaction in your tracking tool on the day it happens. It doesn’t need to clear to count as spent. This way, you’ll know exactly how much you’ve spent at any time. As for your budget, budgeting only your base salary and then updating it once you know your last paycheck is a solid approach. Think of your budget like a set of envelopes: you put money in when you’re paid and take it out as you spend. As you build savings, you can smooth out your income by setting money aside for months with higher commissions.
I faced similar issues. My paycheck never lined up with my monthly budget, so we created Budgetocity. You can start your budget on the 14th, and we have a planner to track due dates for bills. Planning based on your base salary and updating for extra pay is the right move. Just remember to be patient; budgeting is a marathon, not a sprint! 
Keep it simple. Calculate your net income, then divide your needs (~50%), wants (~30%), and savings (~20%). If you earn commissions, set aside 30% for taxes in a separate account. You can often call bill companies to adjust due dates to align better with your payday. This setup works for me: I use credit cards for wants and pay them off from savings.
Budgeting can definitely feel chaotic at first, but it sounds like you’re on the right path. Just keep tracking your expenses as they happen and adjusting your budget based on your actual income. It will take some time, but you’ll get the hang of it!