Free Printable Budget Worksheet and Budgeting Tips

Free Printable Budget Worksheet and Budgeting Tips

We have an incredibly useful and totally FREE printable budget worksheet that you can download below.  But before we get to that, let's talk a little bit about budgeting.

Why Should You Set a Budget?

Budgeting has become somewhat of a lost art in our society.  Over time, the word “budget” has developed a negative connotation – as in, if you’re on a budget - it is associated with deprivation.  Most people see making lots of money as a license to spend freely and making little money as having to watch what we spend more carefully.  But what if I told you that EVERYONE should budget?

I have to confess, even with a background in Accounting and Finance, I have often resisted budgeting for my own household because it seemed like a lot of work!  In all actuality, budgeting is very simple, AND it can bring MORE freedom and LESS STRESS to your spending habits.  Whether your household brings in $500,000 or $25,000, budgeting can be the tool that helps you acquire and increase wealth for your family.  (Or maybe, as a starter, just help you sleep better at night!)

How Do You Start a Budget?

If you are a salaried employee, you already know your monthly income, so this process will be a bit easier.  If you are self-employed, the budgeting process presents a unique challenge because a self-employed person’s income can vary significantly from month to month and/or season to season. 

If you aren’t already using some sort of financial tracking software for your business, you need to start NOW!  Spreadsheets or other software allow you to see trends and make decisions based on history.

Once you know (for salaried employees) or have an estimate of your monthly income, there are several tools available that you can use to allocate funds to different categories.  I really like using Dave Ramsey's guideline percentages.

Here are his recommendations:

• Charity – 10-15%
• Saving – 5 – 10%
• Housing – 25-35%
• Utilities – 5 – 10%
• Food – 5 – 15%
• Transportation – 10-15%
• Clothing – 2 – 7%
• Medical/Health – 5-10%
• Personal – 5 – 10%
• Recreation – 5 – 10%
• Debts – 5 – 10%

(You can download a free printable budget worksheet from Pretty Presets below to help you fill these items in!)

Budgeting Tips

Once you get started, keep these few tips in mind (also from Dave Ramsey):

1. Give your budget three to four months to start working.  It won't be perfect the first time you do it.

2. Spend every dime on paper before the month begins.

3. Over-fund your groceries category.  Most people underfund this category.

4. Husbands (if applicable) need to loosen up and quit using the budget as a whipping tool on their wives.

5. If married, spouses need to work on their budget together.  The preacher said, "... and you are ONE."

In the same way that eating healthy helps you say “no” to things that aren’t good for your body, with the freedom to enjoy a treat occasionally, budgeting will allow you to say “no” to the things that aren’t FINANCIALLY healthy.  It will also save you from “buyer’s remorse”; when you’ve budgeted for an item, you will be able to buy it and enjoy it WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY!

Dave says: "Budgeting is 20% belief and 80% behavior," so make time in your schedule (RIGHT NOW) to sit down and give this a shot!  We’d also love to hear how budgeting has brought some freedom to your finances!

Budget Worksheet

Download Our Free Printable Budget Worksheet - Click Here

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Who is Pretty Presets?

Pretty Presets was founded by Laura Thomas and Karlen Kleinkopf over twelve years ago to encourage and inspire others to grow both personally and professionally through their photography journey.  We offer industry-leading photo editing tools for both Lightroom and Photoshop that will help make your photos look amazing, and we are fortunate to have served well over 250,000 photographers and hobbyists worldwide.

Do you love photography?  Or just a Mom or Dad who enjoys taking photos of your children?  Pretty Presets has the #1 Lightroom and Photoshop group on Facebook.  We invite you to join us today to learn and be inspired by our fantastic group of over 88,000 members.

You can also find an incredible wealth of general photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop tutorials on our Pretty Presets blog.  See you there!

Do you have any questions or comments about our Budget Worksheet?  Just leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!