March is coming, and whether you’re reading this at the end of February or you’re already in March, you still need a plan for the month. Because March has a way of happening fast and bringing extra stuff with it.
In this post, we’re going to walk you through the exact monthly budget order we teach: first you close out the current month, then you build the next month with income, minimum debt payments, bills, spending, savings buckets, and a clear goal. It’s simple, it’s repeatable, and once it’s set up, it can feel almost automatic.
In this post, we’ll show you how to make your monthly budget in 5 clear steps, plus a quick checklist of what to remember for March (spring break, sports, Easter prep, yard stuff, all the things).
Close out the current month first
Before you build your upcoming monthly budget, do a quick “closeout” of the current month.
This is a 5–10 minute check where you’re simply asking:
- Did any bills come out different than expected?
- Did we forget anything?
- Did money accidentally get spent from the bills account (it happens)?
Step 1: List every income source (yes, all of them)
Start your monthly budget by listing all income. This is the “okayyyy I see you” moment. 👀💰
Include:
- Your paycheck(s)
- Spouse paycheck(s)
- Side income
- Reimbursements (HSA, work reimbursements)
- Kids paying you back for something (like their cell phone)
- Bonus pay, overtime, extra duty pay
Important: If income is uncertain, use the conservative number you KNOW is coming in.
Example:
- You think extra pay might be $800
- You know it’s always at least $300, so budget that amount until it actually hits
That keeps your monthly budget realistic and prevents the “we budgeted money that didn’t show up” headache.
Step 2: List minimum debt payments only
Next column: debt.
Debt is anything you owe anyone for any reason:
- car payment
- student loans
- credit cards
- personal loans
- anything with a payment due
Here’s the key: only list the minimum payments in your monthly budget.
Why?
- You need to know what it costs to run your life first (bills + groceries + gas + kids + real life)
- Then you can decide what extra you can throw at debt without ending up right back on a credit card
After the monthly budget is built, that’s when you can choose one debt to attack with any “extra” money.
Step 3: List bills (and yes, subscriptions are bills)
A bill is:
- has an invoice
- has a due date
- repeats consistently
Bills include the obvious stuff:
- mortgage or rent
- utilities
- insurance
- phone
- internet
And also:
- gym memberships
- Xbox/Game subscriptions
- storage unit
- streaming services
- monthly memberships
- random subscriptions you forgot existed 😬
Pro tip:
- Brain dump all bills first
- Then group subscriptions at the bottom so you can SEE them
This is usually the moment people realize:
- “Wait… why do we have 3 music apps and 5 streaming services?”
No judgment. Just visibility.
Want a guided version of this process so you’re not guessing your categories or your numbers?
Go watch the free training here: budgetbesties.com/start
It breaks down the full simplify + separate + automate method so your monthly budget gets easier over time.
Step 4: Plan your spending categories (this is where you live)
Spending is your day-to-day life:
- gas
- groceries
- eating out
- family fun
- personal spending
- kids stuff
The goal is to make this section steady and predictable month to month.
A solid “base” set most families use:
- Gas + Groceries
- Eating Out + Fun (Entertainment)
- Personal Spending (you + spouse)
- Kids
How to pick your numbers:
- Option A: Look back at the last couple months and average it
- Option B: Make your best guess, start there, and adjust next month
And if you don’t use all the grocery money?
- Most of the time, leave it.
- Groceries have a way of humbling all of us, especially when you catch a good deal and suddenly you’re buying like you have 14 kids. 😄
Step 5: Fund savings buckets and pick your monthly goal
After you do:
Income → minimum debt → bills → spending
…then you’ll see what’s left.
That leftover money can go toward:
- savings buckets (annual bills, Christmas, travel, birthdays, car repairs, vet, etc.)
- extra debt payoff
- a specific goal for the month
What if you can’t fund savings buckets this month?
That can be a smart decision sometimes.
Example from a recent client:
- They had a big trip month
- So they temporarily paused savings buckets
- Paid for the trip in cash
- Then planned to bring savings buckets back next month
That’s still a win because savings buckets are what stop future debt. They help you spread big costs out over time instead of dropping $3,000 into one monthly budget.
Don’t skip the monthly goal
Pick ONE main goal for the month, like:
- pay off one specific debt
- get a paycheck ahead
- call creditors to lower interest rates or set up a plan (learn how here)
- stop spending out of the bills account
- build the habit of doing your monthly budget before the month starts
What to remember when building your March budget
March is one of those sneaky months where budget miscellaneous addons start stacking up.
Quick list to jog your memory:
- Spring break trips (and booking stuff early)
- Easter prep (it’s early April, so March spending matters)
- Spring sports fees + equipment
- Yard/house stuff (mulch, flowers, spring cleaning, repairs)
- Weddings + baby showers (spring is BUSY)
If something is coming in April, ask:
- “Can I fund part of this in March so it’s not a financial jump-scare later?”
FAQ
The best time to make your monthly budget is before the month starts, usually in the last week of the current month. That way you’re not reacting to bills as they hit. If you’re working on being a paycheck ahead, this also helps you assign the last paycheck of the month to next month on purpose.
Make your March budget in the last week of February, before March starts. That gives you time to catch any leftover February bills, plan for spring expenses, and decide where each paycheck is going. If you’re working on being a paycheck ahead, this timing helps you use your last February paycheck to fund March on purpose. The goal is to start March with a plan, not panic.
Closing out the current month helps you catch any bills that changed, anything you forgot, or any mistakes like spending from the bills account. It gives you a clean slate so your next monthly budget is based on reality, not guesses.
Start with minimum payments in your monthly budget first. Once you’ve covered bills and planned your spending categories, then you’ll know what you can truly afford to put toward extra debt without creating a shortfall later in the month.
March usually includes spring break spending, sports fees, and surprise “season change” costs like yard work and spring cleaning supplies. Easter can also hit early April, so March is often when that spending starts. Gift season tends to pick up too with weddings and baby showers. If you plan these ahead, you’re way more likely to pay cash.
A bill is anything that’s recurring and predictable, usually with an invoice and a due date. That includes utilities and rent, but it also includes subscriptions like streaming, gym memberships, apps, storage units, and recurring memberships.
Savings buckets are mini savings categories for expenses you know are coming, like travel, birthdays, Christmas, annual bills, and car repairs. Even if debt payoff is your main goal, buckets help you avoid running back to credit cards when life happens. You can start small, then build them up over time. They’re one of the best ways to prevent new debt while you’re paying off old debt.
You don’t have to love budgeting to have a monthly budget that works.
You just need a simple order of operations:
close out → income → minimum debt → bills → spending → savings buckets + goal
If this post helped you build your March budget, here’s the next step: make it easier to repeat.
A monthly budget is step one: simplify.
But the real game-changer is when you separate your money so bills don’t get mixed with spending… and then automate it so your bank does the work.
That’s exactly what our Simplified Budget System teaches you to set up.
It’s the same method we use with coaching clients so you can cover bills, have spending money on purpose, and stop feeling like you’re guessing every month.
Grab the Simplified Budget System here: budgetbesties.com/budget
(And yes, it’s pretty. People really do open it just because they like looking at it. 😄)
