367 | How to Make a Budget: A Step-by-Step, One-Page Guide to Take Control of Your Money
Most budgeting methods are way too complicated. Our Simplified Budget fits on one page, has just five easy categories, and actually tells you what to do with your money—without making you feel restricted.
Why Most Budgets Fail (And Why Ours Works)
If you’ve ever tried budgeting and felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Most budgets are:
❌ Too complicated – Dozens of categories, percentages, and formulas that make your head spin.
❌ Too restrictive – No money for fun? No thanks.
❌ Too time-consuming – Who has hours every week to track every penny?
That’s why we created the Simplified Budget—a one-page system that organizes your money into five easy categories, so you always know where your money is going without feeling like you’re drowning in spreadsheets.
The 5 Categories of the Simplified Budget
Instead of making things complicated, we break it down into five simple categories that fit on one page.
1. Income: Know Exactly What You’re Working With
List every single source of money you have coming in each month. This includes:
✔️ Your paycheck(s)
✔️ Side hustle money
✔️ Bonuses, tax refunds, or gifts
✔️ Any other deposits into your account
📌 Pro Tip: The goal is to get a paycheck ahead, meaning the last paycheck of one month covers the first bills of the next. That way, you’re never waiting for payday to pay a bill.
2. Debt: Separate It from Your Bills
This is where you list any debt payments—credit cards, car loans, student loans, personal loans, etc. But here’s the trick:
Only write down the minimum payments.
🚨 Why? Because only once your entire budget is filled out will you know how much extra you can put toward your debt payments.
Also, understand debt isn’t forever! By keeping it separate from bills, you can see exactly how much of your income is going toward debt each month—and start making a plan to get rid of it.
3. Bills: Anything with a Due Date
This category includes all your recurring expenses—the ones that happen every month (or quarterly/annually) and have a set due date.
💡 Examples of Bills:
✅ Mortgage/Rent
✅ Utilities (electric, water, internet, etc.)
✅ Insurance
✅ Phone bill
✅ Subscriptions (Netflix, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, etc.)
✅ Gym memberships
📌 Pro Tip: By keeping bills separate from spending, you’ll know exactly how much of your money is already committed each month.
4. Spending: Where Your Everyday Life Happens
This is the money you actually swipe your card for. Unlike bills, these are flexible expenses that you control.
💳 Common Spending Categories:
✔️ Gas
✔️ Groceries
✔️ Restaurants
✔️ Kids’ activities
✔️ Pocket money (yes, you need money to spend on yourself!)
🚨 Pocket Money is Non-Negotiable. If you don’t budget for yourself, you’ll end up binge-spending later. Having guilt-free spending money actually helps you stick to your budget!
5. Savings: Plan for the Future
This is where you put money for future expenses, so they don’t sneak up on you. We recommend setting up savings buckets for specific things, like:
🏖️ Travel Fund – So vacations don’t wreck your budget.
🎄 Christmas & Birthdays – So holiday spending doesn’t catch you off guard.
🚗 Car Maintenance – So oil changes and repairs don’t drain your checking account.
🩺 Medical Fund – For unexpected doctor visits or prescriptions.
📌 Pro Tip: The more savings buckets you have, the fewer “unexpected expenses” you’ll face—because you’ll already have money set aside for them!
How to Set Up Your Simplified Budget in 3 Steps
Step 1: Do a 90-Day Money Audit
Look at the last three months of your bank statements and figure out where your money is actually going.
Ask yourself two questions:
✔️ What am I doing with my money right now?
✔️ What do I want to be doing with my money?
This gives you real numbers to work with instead of just guessing.
Step 2: Write Out Your Budget (On One Page!)
Using the five categories, list your actual numbers:
1️⃣ Income → Add up all sources of money coming in.
2️⃣ Debt → List only the minimum payments.
3️⃣ Bills → Write down all your fixed expenses with due dates.
4️⃣ Spending → Budget for groceries, gas, restaurants, and fun.
5️⃣ Savings → Decide how much to set aside for future expenses.
📌 Pro Tip: Adjust as needed. Your first budget won’t be perfect—expect to tweak it for the first few months!
Step 3: Review & Adjust Monthly
Budgeting isn’t a one-and-done thing. Once a month, take an hour to:
✔️ Look at what worked (and what didn’t).
✔️ Adjust your numbers as needed.
✔️ Plan for next month’s expenses.
💡 Make it fun! Do a “budget and brewery” date with your spouse or grab a coffee while you review your numbers. The more enjoyable you make it, the easier it is to stick with!
Why This Works (Even If You’ve Failed at Budgeting Before)
🚫 No complicated categories → Just five easy sections.
🚫 No guessing → You’re using real numbers from your bank statements.
🚫 No unrealistic restrictions → You can still spend on fun stuff—just on purpose.
Most importantly? You can be bougie on a budget.
Final Thoughts: The Power of a One-Page Budget
By organizing your budget into five simple categories on one page, you’ll:
✅ Always know where your money is going.
✅ Stop feeling broke when you make good money.
✅ Spend guilt-free on what matters most.
✅ Have real savings for the future.
Ready to take control of your money? Grab our Simplified Budget System and set up your one-page budget today!
Book Your Free Call Now!
We are excited to create the time & space to talk to you about your current money situation. This is a free, no-obligation call where we can answer questions you may have and maybe find some quick wins for your budget.
What do you have to lose?