While it’s crazy to think we are already planning for the rest of June this year, but getting our budget priorities on paper helps so much with planning out the rest of the month.
Paycheck to paycheck doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing! I always look to my monthly budget to create the paycheck to paycheck budgets we do that are our guide for how we will spend our paychecks.
I planned based on our income of $2,326.81. This doesn’t include extra income because all extra income for the month is already accounted for and headed toward paying off debt. All extra income for the second half of the month goes toward debt.
Unfortunately our income is a couple hundred dollars less than normal because I’m still an hourly employee at my day job and have run out of PTO. Thanks to my sweet baby being sick so often I blew thru the PTO / sick leave balance quickly! Now if I take off or miss a day I’m not able to get paid for that time missed. This is one reason why it’s so important for me to grow my online income.
Here’s how we budgeted our money for the second paychecks of the month from the list of expenses we created in our full monthly budget for the month:
Fixed Expenses
- Mortgage – $600
- Utilities – $219
- Phones – $160
- Internet – $72
- Therapy – $130
Variable Expenses
Sinking Funds
- Car Replacement – $100
- Beach Trip – $100
- Wedding Party – $100
- Pets – $50
- Penny – $20
- Gifts – $20
Plan For Extra Money
Because I have a variable income and earn money from various side hustles, I always like to create a plan for extra money I might earn during the month.
Extra income is not guaranteed and I don’t have a set amount I’ll be earning so I like to use percentages to tell myself what to do with the money. I pick the most important priorities of the month and use those to set my plan for any extra money.
Plan for extra income earned in the end of June:
- 100% extra debt payments
I have been sending some money to both the car fund and beach trip but after doing that last paycheck cycle I realized I really want to make more progress on paying off loans.
It feels like we will be in debt forever without faster progress so extra income for the month will go toward debt repayment.
What I Used To Budget
I am a huge fan of making budgeting fun, which is why I use my planner to create monthly budgets. Using stickers and colorful pens helps me feel like I’m doing a fun project instead of doing a budget.
Here’s what I use when I budgeted this month. I’ve included affiliate links and a description of why I like each item
Happy Planner – I have used Happy Planners for several years and use multiple sizes. I use the classic size Happy Planner for most of my budgeting.
Happy Notes Paper – This paper pack is the additional loose paper I use in my Happy Planner to create budgets and take notes. It’s versatile!
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen – These are the absolute best gel pens you could ever use. I’ve always loved gel pens and the colors make creating budget and doing math more fun.
Tombow Fudenosuke Color Brush Pen – I don’t use these often in budgeting but sometimes use them on stickers or as a decorative touch. These pens are amazing for hand lettering and calligraphy!
Planner Kate Stickers – My favorite sticker shop by far, love all the matte stickers with lots of functional and fun stickers.
Budgeting can feel like a chore, so find ways to make it fun! Use stickers and markers or an app that feels easy to you. If you hate spreadsheets like I do, find ways to make it fit into your life. There isn’t one perfect way to budget!
If you do love using a planner to budget, I hope you enjoy these resources!
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