Monthly Cash Flow Plan Cash lows in and out each month. Make sure you tell it where to go!

Yes, this budget form has a lot of lines and blanks. But that’s okay. We do that so we can list practically every expense imaginable on this form to prevent you from forgetting something. Don’t expect to put something on every line. Just use the ones that are relevant to your specifi c situation.

Step 1 Enter your monthly take-home pay in the box at A the top right (a). This is the amount you have for Monthly take-Home Pay the month to budget. So far so good, huh?

Step 2 Within each main category, such as Food, there are subcategories, like Groceries. Start at the top and work your way down, filling out food Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted

the Budgeted column (b) first. Add up each B subcategory and put that number in the Housing MedicalGroceries Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope

Reality Check Restaurants Total box (c). C D Also, pay attention to Dave’s recommended percentages (d). This will help you keep from budgeting too much for a category.

Step 3 Finally, enter your take-home pay in the top E tAKE-HoME PAY box at the end of the page (e), then add up all categories and place that total in the Category F – CAtEGoRY totALS Totals box (F). Then subtract your Category Totals amount from your Take-Home Pay. You G should have a zero balance (g). Doesn’t that = ZERo BALANCE feel great?

Step 4 food Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted When the month ends, put what you actually H spent in the Spent column (h). That will help you Housing MedicalGroceries Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope

make any necessary adjustments to the next Reality Check Restaurants month’s budget.

Monthly Cash Flow Plan Cash lows in and out each month. Make sure you tell it where to go!

Monthly take-Home Pay Add up budgeted column & enter here These icons represent good options for cash envelopes charitY Food Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted Spent Budgeted

Housing Medical Recreation Savingstithes Clothing Utilities Envelope Housing MedicalGroceries Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope

Reality Check Charity & off erings Reality Check Restaurants

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope *10–15% totAL *5–15% totAL Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope saVing clothing Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent BudgetedHousing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted

Reality Check Reality Check Emergency Fund Adults Retirement Fund Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Children

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope College Fund Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Cleaning/Laundry

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope *10–15% totAL *2–7% totAL Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope hoUsing transportation Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted

Reality Check

First Mortgage/Rent Housing Medical RecreationGas Savings & oil Clothing Utilities Envelope Second Mortgage Repairs & tires Reality Check Real Estate taxes Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope License & taxes

Repairs/Maint. Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Car Replacement Association Dues other ______

*25–35% totAL *10–15% totAL Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Utilities Medical/health Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted

Reality Check Electricity Reality Check Medications Gas Doctor Bills Water Dentist trash optometrist Phone/Mobile Vitamins Internet other ______Cable other ______

% % *5–10 totAL *5–10 totAL *Dave’s Recommended Percentages Monthly Cash Flow Plan Cash lows in and out each month. Make sure you tell it where to go!

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Monthly take-Home Pay insUrance recreation Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted Spent Budgeted Add up budgeted column Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope & enter here These icons represent good options for cash envelopes Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing UtilitiesLife EnvelopeInsurance Reality Check Entertainment charitY Food Health Insurance Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Vacation Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted Spent Budgeted Reality Check

Homeowner/Renter Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope *5–10% Housing Medical Recreation Savingstithes Clothing Utilities Envelope Housing MedicalGroceries Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope totAL Auto Insurance Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope

Reality Check Charity & off erings Reality Check Restaurants Disability Insurance debts Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope *10–15% totAL *5–15% totAL Identity theft Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Car Payment 1 Long-term Care Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope saVing clothing Car Payment 2 Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent BudgetedHousing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted

*10–25% totAL Credit Card 1 ______Reality Check Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Reality Check Emergency Fund Adults Credit Card 2 ______Retirement Fund Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Children personal Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent RealityBudgeted Check Credit Card 3 ______Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope College Fund Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Cleaning/Laundry

Housing Medical Recreation Savings ClothingChild Utilities Care/Sitter Envelope Credit Card 4 ______Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope

*10–15% *2–7% Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope totAL totAL Reality Check toiletries Credit Card 5 ______Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Cosmetics/Hair Care Student Loan 1 hoUsing transportation Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Education/tuition Student Loan 2

Reality Check Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope First Mortgage/Rent Housing Medical RecreationGas Savings & oil Clothing Utilities Envelope Books/Supplies Student Loan 3 Second Mortgage Repairs & tires Reality Check Child Support Student Loan 4

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Real Estate taxes License & taxes Alimony other ______Repairs/Maint. Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Car Replacement Subscriptions other ______Association Dues other ______organization Dues other ______Gifts (inc. Christmas) other ______*25–35% totAL *10–15% totAL Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Replace Furniture other ______

Utilities Medical/health Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Spent Budgeted Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Spent Budgeted Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Pocket Money (His) Your goal is O% *5–10% totAL Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope

Reality Check Pocket Money (Hers) Electricity Reality Check Medications

Food Transportation Charity Personal Insurance Debt Envelope Once you have completed filling out each category, Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Baby Supplies Gas Doctor Bills subtract all category totals from your take-home pay.

Housing Medical Recreation Savings Clothing Utilities Envelope Water Dentist Pet Supplies Music/technology Use the “income sources” trash optometrist form if necessary tAKE-HoME PAY Miscellaneous Phone/Mobile Vitamins Add up totals – CAtEGoRY totALS Internet other ______other ______from each category Cable other ______other ______Remember — The goal of a zero - based = ZERo BALANCE *5–10% budget is to get this % % totAL *5–10 totAL *5–10 totAL number to zero *Dave’s Recommended Percentages