Popular Budgeting Strategies (2024)

You might be wondering how much you should spend within each of your budget categories. Unfortunately, there is norightamount to spend in any category for every individual. It's up to you to decide what works for you. There are a variety of philosophies about the best way to budget.

Below are only a few possible strategies. These are some popular ones, but that does not mean they will work best for you. We encourage you to try them out if you like them, but remember that budgeting is an individualized process, so you should be prepared to identify when a change needs to be made.

The 50/20/30 Budget

In the 50/20/30 budget, 50% of your net income should go to your needs, 20% should go to savings, and 30% should go to your wants.

If you've read the Essentials of Budgeting, you're already familiar with the idea of wants and needs. This budget recommends a specific balance for your spending on wants and needs. It alsoemphasizes the importance of setting money aside for later.

Pay Yourself First

In the “Pay Yourself First” method, the first “bill” you pay every month is to your savings account. Transfer a pre-determined amount into savings at the beginning of the month. After you pay yourself, you should pay your bills, then use the rest however you please.

This method could easily be used in combination with some others listed on this page. However, this method can also be used to keep track of a very simple budget, where you pay forthe things you have to, and don't worry about the rest.

Zero-Based Budget

In a zero-based budget, every single dollar of your income is assigned to a specific expense, leaving you with a balance of $0. This method requires you to anticipate all of your upcoming expenses so that you can allot your income to the appropriate expenses.

Be sure to include saving into your plan as well; if you don't plan to "spend" all of your income, you can assign what's left to a "savings expense." This method ensures that you have a plan for each dollarand won't make impulse purchases.

Envelope Budget

In the envelope budget, you put specific amounts of your money into envelopes (physically with cash, or electronically with an app or spreadsheet) representing different budget categories. Once you have exhausted the funds in an envelope, you can no longer spend within that budget category until the next month. If you have remaining funds at the end of the month, you have a few options:

  • Roll over the remaining funds into the same envelopethe next month

  • Transfer the remaining funds for a different envelope

  • Put the remaining funds into savings for a later date

Popular Budgeting Strategies (2024)

FAQs

Popular Budgeting Strategies? ›

The Four Main Types of Budgets and Budgeting Methods. There are four common types of budgets that companies use: (1) incremental, (2) activity-based, (3) value proposition, and (4) zero-based.

What are the four 4 main types of budgeting methods? ›

The Four Main Types of Budgets and Budgeting Methods. There are four common types of budgets that companies use: (1) incremental, (2) activity-based, (3) value proposition, and (4) zero-based.

What are the five budgeting strategies? ›

Each takes a different approach to budgeting, but all share the common goal of helping you reach your financial goals.
  • 50/30/20 Plan. One of the most popular budget methods is the 50/30/20 spending plan. ...
  • Envelope System (AKA Cash Stuffing) ...
  • Zero-Based Budget. ...
  • Pay-Yourself-First Budget. ...
  • The No-Budget Budget.
Nov 22, 2023

What are the 7 types of budgeting? ›

The 7 different types of budgeting used by companies are strategic plan budget, cash budget, master budget, labor budget, capital budget, financial budget, operating budget. You can read about the Union Budget 2021-22 Summary in the given link.

What is the 50 20 30 method? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the 40 30 20 10 rule? ›

The most common way to use the 40-30-20-10 rule is to assign 40% of your income — after taxes — to necessities such as food and housing, 30% to discretionary spending, 20% to savings or paying off debt and 10% to charitable giving or meeting financial goals.

What is the best budgeting model? ›

In the 50/20/30 budget, 50% of your net income should go to your needs, 20% should go to savings, and 30% should go to your wants. If you've read the Essentials of Budgeting, you're already familiar with the idea of wants and needs. This budget recommends a specific balance for your spending on wants and needs.

What are the 3 P's of budgeting? ›

Introducing the three P's of budgeting

Think of it more as a way to create a plan to spend your money on things that matter to you. Get started in three easy steps — paycheck, prioritize and plan.

What are the three styles of budgeting? ›

There are three types of government budgets: balanced, surplus, and deficit. A balanced budget ensures economic stability and prevents imprudent expenditures, but it is not suitable for times of economic depression or deflation.

What is the 70 20 10 budget? ›

The 70-20-10 budget formula divides your after-tax income into three buckets: 70% for living expenses, 20% for savings and debt, and 10% for additional savings and donations. By allocating your available income into these three distinct categories, you can better manage your money on a daily basis.

What is the most common budget format? ›

Line-Item Budgeting

The line-item budget, which is the most widely used of all budgeting systems, offers many advantages. It is comparatively easy to prepare and doesn't require sophisticated financial skills.

What is the modern budgeting process? ›

It involves reviewing past budgets, identifying and forecasting revenue for the coming period, and assigning amounts to spend on a company's various costs. When done well, the process involves input from senior management, your finance team, and budget managers across the organization.

What are the 4 simple rules for budgeting? ›

YNAB 4 Rules: A Complete Guide
  • Introducing YNAB: Prepare To Kiss Money Stress Goodbye. Enter YNAB: You Need A Budget. ...
  • Rule 1: Give Every Dollar A Job. ...
  • Rule 2: Embrace Your True Expenses. ...
  • Rule 3: Roll With The Punches. ...
  • Rule 4: Age Your Money. ...
  • Conclusion. ...
  • FAQ About YNAB's 4 Rules.
Oct 6, 2023

When should you not use the 50-30-20 rule? ›

But the exact breakdown between “needs,” “wants” and savings may not be ideal for everyone. If you're behind on your retirement savings or have a lot of credit card debt to pay down, you might want to allocate more than 20% of your take-home pay to that category.

Does the 50-30-20 rule still apply? ›

If the 50/30/20 budget was once considered the golden standard of budgeting, it's not anymore. But there are budgeting methods out there that can help you reach your financial goals. Here are some expert-recommended alternatives to the 50/30/20.

What are the cons of the 50-30-20 rule? ›

It may not work for everyone. Depending on your income and expenses, the 50/30/20 rule may not be realistic for your individual financial situation. You may need to allocate a higher percentage to necessities or a lower percentage to wants in order to make ends meet. It doesn't account for irregular expenses.

What are the 4 walls of budgeting? ›

Simply put, the Four Walls are the most basic expenses you need to cover to keep your family going: That's food, utilities, shelter and transportation.

What are the 4 steps of the budgeting process? ›

phases: budget preparation, budget legislation or authorization, budget execution or implementation and budget accountability. While distinctly separate, these processes overlap in implementation during a budget year.

What are the 4 four project budget management steps? ›

The Four Steps in Project Cost Management

While cost management is viewed as a continuous process, it helps to split the function into four steps: resource planning, estimation, budgeting and control.

What are the 4cs of budgeting? ›

As owners of FP&A processes, today's accounting teams must be well-versed in the four C's of financial planning: context, collaboration, continuity, and communication. Today, financial planning and budgeting are more important than ever.

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