How do I create a budget?
A budgeting method that works from your actual spending rather than an ideal — how to find the numbers, categorise them, and build something you'll keep using.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min read
Budgeting
Knowing what comes in, what goes out and what's left.
41 guides in Money & Practical
How do I do an annual review of my household costs?
A two-hour annual sweep through every recurring cost, in the order that finds the most, and what to actually do with the list.
beginner2 hr4 min readHow do I find subscriptions I have forgotten about?
A one-hour audit that most people find money in — where to look and what to search for.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I set up a budget I will actually keep to?
Why most budgets fail in week three, and the structure that survives an ordinary month.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow much should I set aside each month for repairs and replacements?
Build a replacement schedule from what you actually own, divide each item by the years it has left, and add them up. That figure is the answer, and it is defensible.
beginner45 min3 min readWhat does owning a home cost on top of the mortgage?
The mortgage is the predictable part. The costs that catch new owners out, how to build a realistic annual figure, and the maintenance allowance that prevents the worst surprises.
beginner30 min3 min readWhat is a free trial actually committing me to?
What you agree to when you hand over a card, the notice periods hidden in the terms, and how to leave cleanly.
beginner12 min4 min readWhy does my budget keep failing?
Budgets fail for a small number of specific reasons, and almost all of them are design faults rather than discipline problems. How to diagnose which one is yours.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I read a payslip?
Gross, net, and every deduction in between — what each line means and what to check each month.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I recover financially after Christmas?
Face the total, deal with the most expensive debt first, and set up the thing that prevents next January.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I track my spending?
Recording where money actually goes for long enough to be useful, without turning it into a permanent admin task.
beginner45 min2 min readWhat does my tax code mean?
What the number and the letters mean, the codes that suggest a problem, and how to get it corrected.
beginner20 min2 min readWhere can I get free debt advice in the UK?
The free, regulated organisations that give debt advice in the UK, what each does best, and what to prepare so the first appointment is useful.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I agree a gift limit with family?
Raising the subject without awkwardness, the arrangements that work, and how to make a limit stick once it is agreed.
beginner20 min2 min readWhat does paying monthly instead of annually actually cost me?
Monthly payment options on annual costs are usually credit, and priced accordingly. How to find the real difference, and when paying monthly is still the right call.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I find out where my money is actually going?
A three-month review of real spending, categorised well enough to be useful without becoming a project.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I organise money across several accounts?
Giving each account one job, automating the transfers on payday, and keeping the structure small enough to survive.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I stop overspending on small things?
Find out what the small spending actually totals, then add friction rather than relying on willpower.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I work out what a loan actually costs?
Total repayable rather than the monthly figure, what APR includes, and the terms that quietly raise the cost.
beginner30 min3 min readWhat are my options if I cannot repay my debts?
The main informal and statutory debt solutions in the UK, what each requires, and the consequences that make free advice essential before choosing one.
intermediate45 min4 min readWhat should I do if my income is about to drop?
Acting early, working out the real minimum, and the order in which to make changes.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readWhich debts should I pay off first?
The distinction between priority and non-priority debts, and the two common repayment orders for the rest.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I prepare for unexpected household costs?
How to build a buffer for the costs that aren't really unexpected — boilers, appliances, cars — using sinking funds rather than hope.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I budget when my income is irregular?
Paying yourself a fixed amount from a buffer, so a variable income behaves like a regular one.
intermediate1 hr2 min read
Going deeper: ToolFoundry
Interactive calculators — quantities, conversions, costs and sizing — rather than prose.