Building Your First Budget

Goal

By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a working budget with categories and money assigned to them.

Step 1: Create Your Categories

Think about where your money goes each month. Start simple — you can always refine later.

Suggested starter categories:

• Rent / Mortgage
• Groceries
• Transportation
• Utilities
• Savings
• Fun Money

Step 2: Add Your Income

Enter your most recent paycheck or any money you currently have available.

Step 3: Assign Every Dollar

Go through each category and assign an amount. The goal is to get your “Unassigned” balance to zero.

Don’t worry about getting it perfect. Budgets are living documents — you’ll adjust as you learn your spending patterns.

Key Takeaway

A budget isn’t a restriction — it’s a plan. You’re telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

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