Let’s face it, how often have we all tried to give ourselves a budget and it’s been a massive flop? For me, it feels like I attempt (and fail miserably) every single month. This budget is an absolute lifesaver and literally involves a bit of simple Year Three maths, so no excuses. You can even use a calculator if you have to (I did, no shame).
50/30/20. Easy. That’s all you need to know. The only thing before your start is to have your regular income at hand and you’re good to go, amigo.
#1 50% = Life Essentials
Okay, simple start. Divide your income by half and bam, you’ve got your weekly or monthly budget for your absolute necessities. Think along the lines of rent, food and transport. It’s up to you whether your Netflix and Spotify accounts etc are defined as a luxury or an essential. We’d go with the latter, just saying. It may help if you roughly add up these costs and just compare it to that 50%, you may then need to adjust your spending. Maybe a jumper might come in handy when you realise that heating bill is off the charts…
#2 30% = Spend, Spend, Spend
Here, you’ve got complete freedom albeit within a certain amount. Whether it’s that morning coffee, or a night out once (or a few times) a week, this should all try to be squeezed into 30% of your income. Hard, I know, but it’s all about balance. Eating Mi Goreng three times a week just so you have sufficient funds to head out at the weekend could be a sacrifice you are happy to make (I honestly never get tired of the stuff).
#3 20% = Savings
This may be the hardest part of budgeting. Am I right in saying that every time we try and put money into our savings accounts that something, somewhere requires us to take it right back? It’s like the world doesn’t want us to ‘adult’. This part is all about self control – you may have to go searching for it. The term ‘savings’ may not be too high in your agenda but trust me, you’ll be thanking yourself when you go to move out of home, want to go on that Bali trip with your besties or when your 20 year old Corolla finally meets the bitter end.
We can only give you this budget and cross our fingers that you stick it out for at least a couple of months. It might not be for everyone but it’s a damn good way to achieve even a little bit of financial freedom and even better, maybe even prove your parents wrong. Always a bonus.
