I’m a family of 4. (4 year old and 2 year old) Our grocery budget is $300/month. We don’t spend money on kid activities. We do free stuff-parks, library, play dates. We ask for zoo memberships as birthday presents for the kids. We just budget $50 for eating out just for the random nights where we don’t cook and get a pizza. We use Visible so two cellphones is $50/month. We don’t have any paid subscriptions. We use Tubi and RUclips and deal with commercials. 🤣 Our frugal living has helped us to paying off $42K in debt, cashing flowing my two births, and paying off $42K off our mortgage in the last two years! I’m thankful for the Ramsey team!
Enjoy those years! The numbers work when your kids are little, but trust me, once they hit school-age, those spending categories will rise. A lot! In the meantime, well done for paying off your mortgage. You're rocking it.
I love talking about budgeting. One thing that I love to talk about with my clients is having goals. Most of the people who can't stick to a budget are those who don't have any goals or objectives. Always have goals for your money guys. LOVE YOU RACHEL. Love your videos!!!!!
One thing that’s helped my budget is buying in bulk for food and always having a list! I plan the meals I want to make and buy it in bulk and I always have leftovers. Helps me from having to run to the store every time to get something. I check my pantry and fridge to see what I have left and use up anything that needs to be eaten before I buy.
I fully support giving and helping those in need, if you are overbudget and paying off debt, why in the world would you give $500+ to charity and have someone work a second job? I would give my time and volunteer instead of giving money I don't have. When I have more money time give/no debt then give financially.
I totally agree with this statement and was thinking this same thing! If I am running barebones on income due to illness and missing work, this category would be the first to cut/decrease for the month. As you pointed out, there are other ways to give other than monetarily.
I guess it depends how you see it. God has always been there for me and saved me from depression and many other situations. I am grateful and I will always give 10 percent of my income even if I'm struggling
I always think the same thing. I picked up a part time job at an INDEPENDENT pizza shop and working 6 nights a week I average $25 an hour. But if I only worked a couple nights, it could be a complete bust.
My client just got an online job teaching languages online. As she is an American, she charges $30 per hour, and her schedule is pretty full. And she isn't even a teacher, people just wanna talk to Americans!
@@frankbatista.official No they don’t. Americans are generally annoying and have an elevated sense of self which obviously you seem to reiterate with your comment.
Oh! I completely stand behind giving a little of the income first before starting to budget for the month as well. I am pleasantly surprised to come across someone who also believes in donating a fixed percentage of their income.
I’d love to hear how you suggest saving 3-6 months of expenses in todays inflated market/economy. When we became debt free in February by March in Canada inflation was already skyrocketing and any money we had been using to pay off debt was going to our ‘four walls’ because cost of living has jumped up by at least 50% here thanks to carbon taxes, inflation and other tax increases. There is no extra for savings. There’s barely enough to stay afloat. I thought being debt free would be more fun. 😢
Please do more budgeting videos with EverDollar. Include sinking funds for expenses that are either paid just a few times a month on a schedule (like auto or home insurance) or just at random times throughout the year ( such as household items), changes to the budget mid month, savings funds types, transfers between funds, etc. just need more practical tips for budgeting and using EveryDollar.
Wow! Just few hours ago I thought that it would be nice to have a monthly budget detailed video from you, and look what is here! Thanks a lot for your lessons ❤
Nan, my grandmother, taught me how to budget when I was a young kid. Iv made BIG mistakes with money mostly getting into major debt. But the one think that had always kept me a float is sticking to a budget to make sure bills are paid
An excellent book I read years ago was called: Turn Chaos Into Cash: A Complete Guide To Organizing and Managing Your Personal Finances, by Jean Ross Peterson. This book was published in 1989. I highly recommend it! It's short and easy to read.
I really like this and I 100% support giving. That said, if there is that much of a deficit and we are trying to cut costs, why would one not give a little less until able to give more? The deficit was ~900 and 500 of that was giving. I am not saying not to do those other cuts in spending. Still do those but cutting the giving to a smaller amount in this example would drastically help. Just my $0.02
I agree 💯 how do you manage giving when you can’t manage expenses?!?! I’m okay with increasing income too but still that seems to be high when the season of life is expensive even if they didn’t have a car payment.
For a Christian, taking the tithe from God should be an absolute last resort option. You’re essentially saying “sorry God I mismanaged the money you trusted me with, let me take more from you because it’s the easy choice and I don’t want to work a second job.” Not only that, you steal blessings from yourself because God will bless you in ways you don’t even understand if you keep giving. It’s a non negotiable.
I do a weekly (mostly) static budget. I average out everything for the month between 4 weeks. If I have leftover money for the week it goes into my miscellaneous expenses savings account.
I do it this way. I calculate all of my Bills for the Month then when I get my total, I divide it into four because I get paid Each Week. I take an amount and put it into my "Other" Account so I don't touch it. Then when it is due I can pay it. Some are already debited from my account like my Car Registration Bill and at the end of the month I pay my Bank Charge Services. I live in Canada so the bills are slightly different.
If you're intimidated by making a budget: deep breath and do it anyway. You could miss an item or two, but just add them in and adjust. Iterate and make it better, and pretty soon it'll be second nature AND you'll find peace in having a job assigned to every dollar!
I’m wondering about the health insurance costs, I’ve never paid that much. She also didn’t mention anything about contributing to the savings account. I’m wondering if using percentages is a good way to start budgeting to make a person doesn’t purchase things that go over that specific amount.
Murphy loves to visit. In the last month I had to go to the hospital and haven't got a bill for that. Yesterday the spring on my garage door broke. I only have $700 in my emergency fund so I decided to go on Utube and fix it myself for around $200 instead of $700 to $1000 for a technician. I get paid this week and started putting $350 in my emergency fund every two weeks so I still should be able to put $150 in my emergency fund. Hopefully I can figure it out on UTUBE to keep the technician away.
One of the best things I've done was create a budget and stick to it. It took me a few months to get it down to where it is was about as exact as you can be, but I did get there. Although I am confused as to why in this sample budget Rachel is giving she has 10% going towards the church when this sample budget has depreciating debt, i.e. the car payment. That should be paid off first before giving starts ... that's what her dad teaches in the baby steps.
I agree completely, pay off debt then give. You could volunteer if you felt you needed to give back. I'm not getting a second job to give money to my church.
This had to be an over sight here, to give $500 a month when you’re in a deficit? Maybe reduce it down to $100 or recommend volunteering for now until the family is doing slightly better. You have to put the oxygen mask on first before you help the person next you.
It is mind blowing how much we spend on the health insurance this days. And yet after you need pay all the bs dedactbles. 1700$ every month out of the budget 😞 It is more then 30% ! That a big chunk. Something has to change!
Wow I need to move to Tennessee. Can’t live on this salary in NY (in the boroughs not Manhattan). Mortgage alone is 2300. I know you said this is just an average of costs. Vitamins, medical copays, kids sports, add auto quick and then emergencies. 1,000 is a nice cushion but if a car goes or something more expensive it’s back to the drawing board. Making more $ is the key.
@@wwilliams4743That’s happening in Florida too because a lot of people are moving down there from NY to get away from not only the expense of living but the due to the safety going done. I’m curious why the cost go up by people moving into your state?
Assuming groceries means food and household supplies (toilet paper, shampoo, etc)... I can't imagine how a family of 4 only spends $600 per month on groceries in today's world of wild inflation. I also can't imagine giving that much to the church if your budget is that tight but more power to you if you do... you are a better man/woman than I.
I don't mind doing 0 based budgets but it really freaks my husband out when the money is allotted this way. Also, Part-time jobs where I live earn minimum wage. My 16y/o makes $3/hour over minimum + tips and is treated like he won the lottery by other locals.
0 based doesn't mean spending every dollar, it could mean a category called checking min that's like $200. Every dollar means every dollar is assigned to something.
I get that she was was just showing a quick example. But yeah, when I heard the budget was over by $900 and they still hadn't accounted for car maintenance, insurance, etc, I thought, "Wow, that's painful."
I'm lost on one thing. Can you help me? It's a question re 'Net Income' for budgeting purposes: It is so often called 'take-home pay' in relation only to payroll. Yes, I know there are deductions from my gross that appear on my paystub. HOWEVER, what about other IRAs I pay into (outside of my employer's plan), insurances I pay premiums on (including other health insur not connected with my employer), etc, all which ARE NOT CONNECTED with my employment and are paid on my own for out of my paycheck?? In my personal budget, should I ALSO subtract these "others" to arrive at my actual net??
I can not find a detailed explanation of how to roll over the remaining balance to the next month. I know the app doesn't do that it self but I would LOVE if it did. any one else feels that way? Hopefully they will add that feature
You can't outgive God. Some ways we have cut back in some areas are: using chicken leg quarters for broth instead of buying broth, buying magarine if it is on sale cheaper than butter we prefer, buying cheaper cuts of meat, smaller portions, homemade baked goodies instead of buying them, Aldis for snacks, stocking pantry with baking supplies, canned goods and now buying only on sale at a good price or low price, using mayo with vinegar and sugar instead of salad dressings, growing lettuce inside, using less shampoo, using every drop of toothpaste, turning heat down 2 degrees, no unecessary trips, and watching youtube for ideas! We may get a couple of electric space heaters in case gas prices are worse than electric. Using solar landscaping lights inside at night too.
We take out cash at the beginning of each month and use envelopes. We have "set aside" envelopes for big payments that don't occur monthly, like insurance, taxes, car repairs and registration, medical, dentist. You forgot haircuts 💇♂️ and dog 🐕 & cat 🐈 budget!
Don't "set aside" money in envelopes for big expenses! While looking for a money market account for my emergency fund (baby step 3), I found they paid very little interest unless you had Tens of Thousands of dollars in there- and had to maintain that balance to accrue the higher interest rates. So effectively you can't actually use your own money without being penalized. At that time I found an online bank (Ally) that paid high yield interest rates without any fees- as you grow your account. $10 balance or $100k balance earn the same rate. Currentl rate is 2.25%. I get free checks also for my no-fee checking account with them. Ive been doing business with them for 2.5 years now. I've recently learned Marcus, Bask and a few other online banks are paying even more in interest with no minimum balance. I can't speak for them tho because I've not used them. I'm a divorced 57 yr old who got out of debt about 3 yrs ago following Dave Ramsey's plan. I am not remotely affiliated with any banking institution. Just sharing my experience.
So if you are over budget some people just take an extra job? how is that even possible without working yourself into a burnout? I am a single mom with 4 children and I can't work at the moment because of illness and my spending is 1500 dollars a month over budget, I was hoping to get some idea's to fix my budget but since I can't work....
Hi Rachel, just curious about your Biblical conviction about 10 percent. Do you normally tithe based off your gross or your net? What scriptures do you use to make this decision? I just noticed that many people in the comments are bringing it up and wanted to know if you could share a more detailed explanation. Just a recommendation. Thanks, Rachel! 😊
Same with Toronto. Housing is crazy expensive here. Even when you move out to a 1.5 hour commute each way, it’s still expensive. I know people living near Niagara Falls and commuting to downtown Toronto 1-2 days a week hybrid work. It’s about a 2.5 hour commute each way.
Are you a single person? Or a family? If you're a family and you+spouse make 75k a month, I think you should consider leaving so cal if you can't get higher paying jobs in so cal. If you're single, does 1600 rent a bedroom in a shared apartment?
@@CloakedC family of 5. I make 135k a year - That’s pretty much minimum wage here in so cal. That’s nothing. The Mecca of what I do for work is here in SoCal. Any other state would pay me 1/2
The problem is - there’s sooooo much not included in this budget. Car problems, house/appliance or plumbing problems, lawn, birthdays, Christmas presents , vet, orthodontists/RXs & other medical unexpected expenses. And every month there’s always unexpected expenses. Especially when you own a home!
I guess the whole point of budgeting is accounting for the unexpected. so no gifts, or pets if you're unable to prepare w the resources you have🤷♀or get a 2nd job. Life is hard rn
You don't budget cancer into your life unless you have a diagnosis. This is what the emergency fund (unexpected) and sinking funds (expected) are for. Randomness that isn't an emergency goes into "miscellaneous."
Does the average family really pay $1,779 per month ($21,348 per year) in health insurance?? I think that figure may be the entire cost of premiums for an average family, but both employers and employees share the premium cost, with the employer typically paying majority of the cost. The employee's portion would be closer to $500 per month for family coverage. If the numbers were adjusted to reflect that change, the family would have an additional $1,279 per month, thus creating a budget surplus of $319. Maybe the family can use the surplus to put towards retirement, savings, emergency fund, faster debt pay down.
To add dependents to my husband’s work plan is over $1100/month. My employer never offered health insurance, so we got an independent plan for myself and the kids. It’s about $780/month.
Yeah that seems wrong. Been married 10 years with kids and it's $100/mo for me through employer. Seems wiser to set aside $1k a month and self pay then pay insurance that much
Fewer and fewer employers contribute toward insurance. Mine does but my adult sons does not. It's not mathematically possible for him to have insurance
The every dollar app has not been functioning properly for the past three months.. whenever I have extra I like to pay a bill in advance for the upcoming months . Ie : mortgage, which is an expense every month however the EveryDollar app will not save the payment information..
Someone who lives in Nashville TN here… long story short- it’s a nightmare to live here. I’m leaving. Cost of living is insane and the average salary range is super low! Average rent and mortgage payment is now $1700-$2000 for a one bedroom living on the outskirts of the city. The cost of living has increased by 45% on average every yr with little to no increase. It’s awful!
I am creating a budget with about $1,400 plus a month. I am a single black female. I need to pay $400 to $500 in rent or living expenses. I am saving for a used vehicle. My budget is ten Gs.
I paid off my car first. I wanted to own it before it was dead. Then my credit cards, and now my house. I have a 7% loan that is going away quickly. I got a 0% credit card. I pay 3 mortgage payments with the card, then rain money down on the card. The next month I do the same. I dumped 25% of the loan in 2 1/2 months. I'm making money on that. $640 a month on groceries is poor money management. We spend about $480 for our house, that includes our medications. These numbers sound exaggerated. No gym membership is necessary. The reason your house and credit card take forever to pay off comes down to that interest rate and fees.
Well the "Giving" priority is incorrect. That is the last thing on the list. Do your expenses for what you need for 4 primary things: 1) Food (Don't have this you will die then nothing else would matter) 2) Shelter (House, Apartment etc.... ) 3) Water & Electricity (So you can shower for the job and cook the food you bought) 4) Transportation (Even if not making car payments you need to expense for these must haves of Oil changes, Insurance & Yearly Registration Everything outside of these is extra. Budget Priority Raking: 1) Mandatory expenses (4 listed above) 2) 10% SAVINGS (Always prioritize Savings over giving until you reach the 6-12-month survival amount) 3) After that then you can prioritize the other things in your life. Don’t fall into the 10% giving to the church trap. No matter what they say. I am not saying don’t give but don’t let them bully you into giving more than you can comfortably afford to lose. Remember you and your family are the number 1 priority on then if you have extra that you can afford then give. Thanks, love the advice you give is good. But no one is perfect and I am not by any means but this is just advice...
I think that you still need to budget that and record it as an expense. Even if it comes out of your paycheck. This money is yours. It's like an automated expense.
The car insurance was crazy high ... also that health insurance cost is aweful, you'd be better putting that money in an HSA and paying out of pocket for almost anything.
The feeling you have when you give is priceless. I used to donate even when I was broke. Not tryna go against you. But you should try to have this experience. Have a nice week
I never replied with I don’t give to church or charities. Just Rachel Cruze suggestion of 10% of your income is a little too much someone trying to get out of debt.
Recommending they cut out everything and get a second job before eliminating the $600 of giving to the church isn't what I would do...but I like how you broke the budget down.
the reality of working families you prioritize your bills, essentials, debts. Jebus donations are tax deductible meaning more on your tax return so are HSA for medical expenses. Children outgrown clothes/shoes its gonna be more than $50 I try to go to store at least every 3 months for their needs, I come last. Personally an extra job means to me less time with my kids, grumpy, less energy if looking to boost extra income I just do some overtime 2-3 days or take those short paying surveys during spare time..
Interesting. We live in a rural area with 2 cities north and south of us 90 minutes away each way, so we are rural. My cell phone bill for 2 phones is $156 My cable and internet are 1 bill and its $224 that includes a land line phone but its $10 if you had that pay she is talking about you would have to cut these things. Giving, eating out, car, gym, clothing, fun, kids, misc, you would have $558 left. if you added those things back in but not the car or giving, you would have $60. You would have no savings or emergency fund. Instead of looking for a second job or side hustle, maybe look for an employer who offers health insurance
I'm not sure I believe those utilities. I live in a MUCH cheaper area than Nashville. Before I sold my 988 sq ft house that had new, energy efficient heat/AC, the electricity alone could get to $200 during the hottest times....with 1-2 people.
Seems high...I am in Florida 2500.sq ft house and ours is in summer $190ish and winter/fall/spring $100ish a month on avg. It is a newer home so pretty energy efficient.
Right? Haha our electric is near $300 and we only use fans and lights in our home. We also live in a very high cost living area but still electric is just getting higher. Yucj
Joel Osteen, Ken Copland, Bill Graham... they looooove that tithe! 😂 tithe more. Why stop at 10%? Im new to listening Dave and Rachel. Really liking the advice. Its really motivating and freeing. Be charitable, by all means. But consider who's the recipient. DONT FUND YOUR PASTOR'S BABY STEPS!! 😂
Tithing 10% is in the Bible. Never had debt fortunately. Live way below our means. We have found that you just can't outgive God. It comes back to us in some way every time. Couldn't live in any debt. There's freedom in what you can do without it always there in front of you. Best wishes to anyone trying to get out of debt. It is like losing weight. One lb. at a time. You can do it.
4:33 $1700/mo for health insurance is criminal... the fact that Americans are paying insurance companies nearly $200K/decade, per family, shows how bad the healthcare crisis is. It's a THIRD of the entire household income for a family. Can't wait to dedicate my life to finding the solution.
I'm glad my wife and I are just naturally frugal. No budget to work up...we just neither like to spend and this method works for us to save alot. Of course this probably wouldn't work for most.
If your over budget by 900, cutting back on 500 giving down to even 100 a month and don't buy yourself clothes or takeout. That is almost break even. I enjoy giving to church but if we are cutting down on 401k, selling cars, making sacrifices that includes the large giving budget.
This example is unrealistic. You can't cut cable for just one month and the majority of people, health insurance comes out of your pay before you get it. and giving is important but if you can't afford it, then you can't give $500 if its going to put you over budget.
Good video BUT...the fact that church givings wasn't cut before getting a second job is just awful. Time is the most important thing and an extra job takes time away from family/kids/free time. Cutting church should be one of the first things to cut from expenses.
I am sorry but who on earth pays these low bills? A family of four eats for 600 a month? 60$ for two cell phones? 60$ for cable? This is definitely not accurate and we are comparable to Nashville I believe! I don’t know how to begin if these are so not accurate . 50$ for 4 kids fun money? Where are they going lol
I have a family of four in Florida with two teens, one with a food allergy, and I budget $625/month for groceries which includes toiletries, laundry detergent, etc. We have Netflix and Disney plus, but no cable. My kids cell phone plans are $15/each with mint mobile (limited data).
@@laurenfortunato123 , my husband has a phone through work. I have a$35/month plan with straight talk, the mint plans are each individual not add-on plans, each $15/month.
I have a weekly budget on Excel that I update daily have done this for the past three years, and it has changed my life financially
I’m a family of 4. (4 year old and 2 year old) Our grocery budget is $300/month. We don’t spend money on kid activities. We do free stuff-parks, library, play dates. We ask for zoo memberships as birthday presents for the kids. We just budget $50 for eating out just for the random nights where we don’t cook and get a pizza. We use Visible so two cellphones is $50/month. We don’t have any paid subscriptions. We use Tubi and RUclips and deal with commercials. 🤣 Our frugal living has helped us to paying off $42K in debt, cashing flowing my two births, and paying off $42K off our mortgage in the last two years! I’m thankful for the Ramsey team!
That is fantastic!
Wow, $300 a month for food budget?! What state do you live in? Mine is $800 per month for a family of 4(2 adults and 2 kids) here in CA. 😢
Wow!
Enjoy those years! The numbers work when your kids are little, but trust me, once they hit school-age, those spending categories will rise. A lot! In the meantime, well done for paying off your mortgage. You're rocking it.
@@johnsantiago4810 we are in Kansas so cost of living and income are very different!
I love talking about budgeting. One thing that I love to talk about with my clients is having goals. Most of the people who can't stick to a budget are those who don't have any goals or objectives. Always have goals for your money guys. LOVE YOU RACHEL. Love your videos!!!!!
The Budget Girl is on fire 🔥
She knows EXACTLY what she’s talking about
One thing that’s helped my budget is buying in bulk for food and always having a list! I plan the meals I want to make and buy it in bulk and I always have leftovers. Helps me from having to run to the store every time to get something. I check my pantry and fridge to see what I have left and use up anything that needs to be eaten before I buy.
Meal planning is a great idea!
I fully support giving and helping those in need, if you are overbudget and paying off debt, why in the world would you give $500+ to charity and have someone work a second job? I would give my time and volunteer instead of giving money I don't have. When I have more money time give/no debt then give financially.
I totally agree with this statement and was thinking this same thing! If I am running barebones on income due to illness and missing work, this category would be the first to cut/decrease for the month. As you pointed out, there are other ways to give other than monetarily.
I guess it depends how you see it. God has always been there for me and saved me from depression and many other situations. I am grateful and I will always give 10 percent of my income even if I'm struggling
I'd love to learn about this part time job that pays $25 an hour. That's way more than I make at my full time gig.
I always think the same thing. I picked up a part time job at an INDEPENDENT pizza shop and working 6 nights a week I average $25 an hour. But if I only worked a couple nights, it could be a complete bust.
That seems completely unrealistic to me as well, it's hard to find a full time job making that much
My client just got an online job teaching languages online. As she is an American, she charges $30 per hour, and her schedule is pretty full. And she isn't even a teacher, people just wanna talk to Americans!
@@frankbatista.official No they don’t. Americans are generally annoying and have an elevated sense of self which obviously you seem to reiterate with your comment.
I serve at Olive Garden, I make $20-$30 an hour on tips +3.63 hourly.
6:01 If they have a car payment, then they do not need to see the inside of a restaurant unless they’re working at the restaurant.
Thats not realistic
Dave?😂
Lol
😂😂😂😂@@43vaRR
Oh! I completely stand behind giving a little of the income first before starting to budget for the month as well. I am pleasantly surprised to come across someone who also believes in donating a fixed percentage of their income.
I’d love to hear how you suggest saving 3-6 months of expenses in todays inflated market/economy. When we became debt free in February by March in Canada inflation was already skyrocketing and any money we had been using to pay off debt was going to our ‘four walls’ because cost of living has jumped up by at least 50% here thanks to carbon taxes, inflation and other tax increases. There is no extra for savings. There’s barely enough to stay afloat. I thought being debt free would be more fun. 😢
Please do more budgeting videos with EverDollar. Include sinking funds for expenses that are either paid just a few times a month on a schedule (like auto or home insurance) or just at random times throughout the year ( such as household items), changes to the budget mid month, savings funds types, transfers between funds, etc. just need more practical tips for budgeting and using EveryDollar.
Seriously though all of those topics on a video would be sooo helpful!!
Wow! Just few hours ago I thought that it would be nice to have a monthly budget detailed video from you, and look what is here!
Thanks a lot for your lessons ❤
I agree with you. Rachel is amazing!!!
Nan, my grandmother, taught me how to budget when I was a young kid. Iv made BIG mistakes with money mostly getting into major debt. But the one think that had always kept me a float is sticking to a budget to make sure bills are paid
An excellent book I read years ago was called: Turn Chaos Into Cash: A Complete Guide To Organizing and Managing Your Personal Finances, by Jean Ross Peterson. This book was published in 1989. I highly recommend it! It's short and easy to read.
Im using every dollar everyday on my savings, it really helped me alot and save alot of money, thank you rachel
Great video. The zero-based budget is changing my life. Have been doing it for about a year now and can’t imagine ever going back to not budgeting.
I really like this and I 100% support giving. That said, if there is that much of a deficit and we are trying to cut costs, why would one not give a little less until able to give more? The deficit was ~900 and 500 of that was giving. I am not saying not to do those other cuts in spending. Still do those but cutting the giving to a smaller amount in this example would drastically help. Just my $0.02
I agree 💯 how do you manage giving when you can’t manage expenses?!?! I’m okay with increasing income too but still that seems to be high when the season of life is expensive even if they didn’t have a car payment.
For a Christian, taking the tithe from God should be an absolute last resort option. You’re essentially saying “sorry God I mismanaged the money you trusted me with, let me take more from you because it’s the easy choice and I don’t want to work a second job.” Not only that, you steal blessings from yourself because God will bless you in ways you don’t even understand if you keep giving. It’s a non negotiable.
I do a weekly (mostly) static budget. I average out everything for the month between 4 weeks. If I have leftover money for the week it goes into my miscellaneous expenses savings account.
I do it this way. I calculate all of my Bills for the Month then when I get my total, I divide it into four because I get paid Each Week. I take an amount and put it into my "Other" Account so I don't touch it. Then when it is due I can pay it. Some are already debited from my account like my Car Registration Bill and at the end of the month I pay my Bank Charge Services. I live in Canada so the bills are slightly different.
If you're intimidated by making a budget: deep breath and do it anyway. You could miss an item or two, but just add them in and adjust. Iterate and make it better, and pretty soon it'll be second nature AND you'll find peace in having a job assigned to every dollar!
I’m wondering about the health insurance costs, I’ve never paid that much. She also didn’t mention anything about contributing to the savings account. I’m wondering if using percentages is a good way to start budgeting to make a person doesn’t purchase things that go over that specific amount.
Yeah family of 4 in Texas only paying $600 a month for health insurance and it comes out before I get my paycheck…
Murphy loves to visit. In the last month I had to go to the hospital and haven't got a bill for that. Yesterday the spring on my garage door broke. I only have $700 in my emergency fund so I decided to go on Utube and fix it myself for around $200 instead of $700 to $1000 for a technician. I get paid this week and started putting $350 in my emergency fund every two weeks so I still should be able to put $150 in my emergency fund. Hopefully I can figure it out on UTUBE to keep the technician away.
Nice...yes that was $500.earlier this year I spent for 2 spring door. Did you order the springs online?
@@tristan2332 I haven't ordered it yet it's just one spring. I was going to go to home Depot.
One of the best things I've done was create a budget and stick to it. It took me a few months to get it down to where it is was about as exact as you can be, but I did get there.
Although I am confused as to why in this sample budget Rachel is giving she has 10% going towards the church when this sample budget has depreciating debt, i.e. the car payment. That should be paid off first before giving starts ... that's what her dad teaches in the baby steps.
Tithing is always first wether you are in debt or not. The first fruits always go back to God.
@@aaronhudgens8345 not in the Ramsey baby steps program.
I agree completely, pay off debt then give. You could volunteer if you felt you needed to give back. I'm not getting a second job to give money to my church.
This had to be an over sight here, to give $500 a month when you’re in a deficit? Maybe reduce it down to $100 or recommend volunteering for now until the family is doing slightly better. You have to put the oxygen mask on first before you help the person next you.
What about home owners insurance? Savings?
It is mind blowing how much we spend on the health insurance this days. And yet after you need pay all the bs dedactbles. 1700$ every month out of the budget 😞
It is more then 30% ! That a big chunk.
Something has to change!
Very detailed and informative. Everyone could easily follow these tips! Great work!
Wow I need to move to Tennessee. Can’t live on this salary in NY (in the boroughs not Manhattan). Mortgage alone is 2300. I know you said this is just an average of costs. Vitamins, medical copays, kids sports, add auto quick and then emergencies. 1,000 is a nice cushion but if a car goes or something more expensive it’s back to the drawing board. Making more $ is the key.
I'm sure you're a very nice family, but please don't move to Tennessee. Refugees from NY, IL, CA, and MI are driving up our cost of living like crazy!
@@wwilliams4743That’s happening in Florida too because a lot of people are moving down there from NY to get away from not only the expense of living but the due to the safety going done. I’m curious why the cost go up by people moving into your state?
What do you do with money left over in a category at the end of the month? Leave it in there??
Rachael what do you do when you know your “pain point” is Non voluntary medical supplies
I like the way your breaking it down
Assuming groceries means food and household supplies (toilet paper, shampoo, etc)... I can't imagine how a family of 4 only spends $600 per month on groceries in today's world of wild inflation. I also can't imagine giving that much to the church if your budget is that tight but more power to you if you do... you are a better man/woman than I.
I feel that's high... I'm $400/Mt and I live in a ridiculous high cost of living area. I'd love food as cheap as the USA
I don't mind doing 0 based budgets but it really freaks my husband out when the money is allotted this way. Also, Part-time jobs where I live earn minimum wage. My 16y/o makes $3/hour over minimum + tips and is treated like he won the lottery by other locals.
That's really sad Collen. Keep looking for new opportunities. I'm sure you guys can find something better 🙂
0 based doesn't mean spending every dollar, it could mean a category called checking min that's like $200. Every dollar means every dollar is assigned to something.
@@twinmama16 Yes, He gets very anxious if every dollar has a place.
And they haven't even bought toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, renewed license plates, found life insurance in case one spouse passes away, etc!
And without saving a penny!
Yeah because those happen every month! Lol
I get that she was was just showing a quick example. But yeah, when I heard the budget was over by $900 and they still hadn't accounted for car maintenance, insurance, etc, I thought, "Wow, that's painful."
I'm lost on one thing. Can you help me? It's a question re 'Net Income' for budgeting purposes: It is so often called 'take-home pay' in relation only to payroll. Yes, I know there are deductions from my gross that appear on my paystub. HOWEVER, what about other IRAs I pay into (outside of my employer's plan), insurances I pay premiums on (including other health insur not connected with my employer), etc, all which ARE NOT CONNECTED with my employment and are paid on my own for out of my paycheck?? In my personal budget, should I ALSO subtract these "others" to arrive at my actual net??
I like the idea but can't see, unfortunately
I can not find a detailed explanation of how to roll over the remaining balance to the next month. I know the app doesn't do that it self but I would LOVE if it did. any one else feels that way? Hopefully they will add that feature
What happened to car insurance in the budget? Did I miss something?
You can't outgive God. Some ways we have cut back in some areas are: using chicken leg quarters for broth instead of buying broth, buying magarine if it is on sale cheaper than butter we prefer, buying cheaper cuts of meat, smaller portions, homemade baked goodies instead of buying them, Aldis for snacks, stocking pantry with baking supplies, canned goods and now buying only on sale at a good price or low price, using mayo with vinegar and sugar instead of salad dressings, growing lettuce inside, using less shampoo, using every drop of toothpaste, turning heat down 2 degrees, no unecessary trips, and watching youtube for ideas! We may get a couple of electric space heaters in case gas prices are worse than electric. Using solar landscaping lights inside at night too.
Love your channel! So inspiring! Happy Fall!
We take out cash at the beginning of each month and use envelopes. We have "set aside" envelopes for big payments that don't occur monthly, like insurance, taxes, car repairs and registration, medical, dentist. You forgot haircuts 💇♂️ and dog 🐕 & cat 🐈 budget!
You're totally right. Sometimes people forget the small expenses, but they can make a huge difference at the end of the month!
Don't "set aside" money in envelopes for big expenses! While looking for a money market account for my emergency fund (baby step 3), I found they paid very little interest unless you had Tens of Thousands of dollars in there- and had to maintain that balance to accrue the higher interest rates. So effectively you can't actually use your own money without being penalized. At that time I found an online bank (Ally) that paid high yield interest rates without any fees- as you grow your account. $10 balance or $100k balance earn the same rate. Currentl rate is 2.25%. I get free checks also for my no-fee checking account with them. Ive been doing business with them for 2.5 years now. I've recently learned Marcus, Bask and a few other online banks are paying even more in interest with no minimum balance. I can't speak for them tho because I've not used them. I'm a divorced 57 yr old who got out of debt about 3 yrs ago following Dave Ramsey's plan. I am not remotely affiliated with any banking institution. Just sharing my experience.
So if you are over budget some people just take an extra job? how is that even possible without working yourself into a burnout? I am a single mom with 4 children and I can't work at the moment because of illness and my spending is 1500 dollars a month over budget, I was hoping to get some idea's to fix my budget but since I can't work....
I live on Canada ans your app can t not work here!!!😭😭😭
Where in Nashville does a part time job pay $25 an hour??
What about savings?
Hi Rachel, just curious about your Biblical conviction about 10 percent. Do you normally tithe based off your gross or your net? What scriptures do you use to make this decision? I just noticed that many people in the comments are bringing it up and wanted to know if you could share a more detailed explanation. Just a recommendation. Thanks, Rachel! 😊
Do you tithe on the gross?
Do you have separate categories like paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, and so on?
Would you use this app if you were a business owner?
how can 1/4 take-home pay be ideal in so cal? theres NO POSSIBLE way I can find rent for $1600 a mo in so cal.. its not 2019 anymore
Same with Toronto. Housing is crazy expensive here. Even when you move out to a 1.5 hour commute each way, it’s still expensive. I know people living near Niagara Falls and commuting to downtown Toronto 1-2 days a week hybrid work. It’s about a 2.5 hour commute each way.
Time to move.or house hack. Get sone room mate renters buddies.
Are you a single person? Or a family?
If you're a family and you+spouse make 75k a month, I think you should consider leaving so cal if you can't get higher paying jobs in so cal.
If you're single, does 1600 rent a bedroom in a shared apartment?
@@CloakedC family of 5. I make 135k a year - That’s pretty much minimum wage here in so cal. That’s nothing. The Mecca of what I do for work is here in SoCal. Any other state would pay me 1/2
The problem is - there’s sooooo much not included in this budget. Car problems, house/appliance or plumbing problems, lawn, birthdays, Christmas presents , vet, orthodontists/RXs & other medical unexpected expenses. And every month there’s always unexpected expenses. Especially when you own a home!
I guess the whole point of budgeting is accounting for the unexpected. so no gifts, or pets if you're unable to prepare w the resources you have🤷♀or get a 2nd job. Life is hard rn
You don't budget cancer into your life unless you have a diagnosis.
This is what the emergency fund (unexpected) and sinking funds (expected) are for.
Randomness that isn't an emergency goes into "miscellaneous."
I love your idea about giving but it could never be me. I work too hard to give it away. Great video and explanation.
I love the idea of giving as well. But I give less than the 10% suggested here.. I will need to give this one some thought..
Does the average family really pay $1,779 per month ($21,348 per year) in health insurance?? I think that figure may be the entire cost of premiums for an average family, but both employers and employees share the premium cost, with the employer typically paying majority of the cost. The employee's portion would be closer to $500 per month for family coverage. If the numbers were adjusted to reflect that change, the family would have an additional $1,279 per month, thus creating a budget surplus of $319. Maybe the family can use the surplus to put towards retirement, savings, emergency fund, faster debt pay down.
I pay $857 for myself and a child
To add dependents to my husband’s work plan is over $1100/month. My employer never offered health insurance, so we got an independent plan for myself and the kids. It’s about $780/month.
Yeah that seems wrong. Been married 10 years with kids and it's $100/mo for me through employer. Seems wiser to set aside $1k a month and self pay then pay insurance that much
Fewer and fewer employers contribute toward insurance. Mine does but my adult sons does not. It's not mathematically possible for him to have insurance
The every dollar app has not been functioning properly for the past three months.. whenever I have extra I like to pay a bill in advance for the upcoming months . Ie : mortgage, which is an expense every month however the EveryDollar app will not save the payment information..
Someone who lives in Nashville TN here… long story short- it’s a nightmare to live here. I’m leaving. Cost of living is insane and the average salary range is super low! Average rent and mortgage payment is now $1700-$2000 for a one bedroom living on the outskirts of the city. The cost of living has increased by 45% on average every yr with little to no increase. It’s awful!
I put a good percentage aside to invest and live on the difference. Gotta invest in yourself first.
I am creating a budget with about $1,400 plus a month. I am a single black female. I need to pay $400 to $500 in rent or living expenses. I am saving for a used vehicle. My budget is ten Gs.
Hmmm take home pay of $5,178 seems high to me with a salary of $75,000. Does this take home pay not account for investing?
I paid off my car first. I wanted to own it before it was dead. Then my credit cards, and now my house. I have a 7% loan that is going away quickly. I got a 0% credit card. I pay 3 mortgage payments with the card, then rain money down on the card. The next month I do the same. I dumped 25% of the loan in 2 1/2 months. I'm making money on that. $640 a month on groceries is poor money management. We spend about $480 for our house, that includes our medications. These numbers sound exaggerated. No gym membership is necessary. The reason your house and credit card take forever to pay off comes down to that interest rate and fees.
I totally agree with you!!!
And they front loan the loan. The bull goes to the bank the 1st 15 yrs.
Well the "Giving" priority is incorrect. That is the last thing on the list. Do your expenses for what you need for 4 primary things:
1) Food (Don't have this you will die then nothing else would matter)
2) Shelter (House, Apartment etc.... )
3) Water & Electricity (So you can shower for the job and cook the food you bought)
4) Transportation (Even if not making car payments you need to expense for these must haves of Oil changes, Insurance & Yearly Registration
Everything outside of these is extra.
Budget Priority Raking:
1) Mandatory expenses (4 listed above)
2) 10% SAVINGS (Always prioritize Savings over giving until you reach the 6-12-month survival amount)
3) After that then you can prioritize the other things in your life.
Don’t fall into the 10% giving to the church trap. No matter what they say. I am not saying don’t give but don’t let them bully you into giving more than you can comfortably afford to lose. Remember you and your family are the number 1 priority on then if you have extra that you can afford then give.
Thanks, love the advice you give is good. But no one is perfect and I am not by any means but this is just advice...
I say drop the $500 giving down to $100 until you can get your debts down.
How do I get my budget in line when I am behind?
Thank you so much for this!
Will the app ever be availble for Europe ?
If health insurance comes out of my paycheck (affects my take home pay), do I still need that as a line item???
I think that you still need to budget that and record it as an expense. Even if it comes out of your paycheck. This money is yours. It's like an automated expense.
@@frankbatista.official thanks for the info
@@tammiedwards7441 Any time
No just take home pay for a budget
The car insurance was crazy high ... also that health insurance cost is aweful, you'd be better putting that money in an HSA and paying out of pocket for almost anything.
Yeah, i live in nyc and have geico and it's half that
Can you do a every two week budget as anotther example?!
Love this! Will there be a way to have a real person's budget as an example?
So what if ur monthly income isn’t always the same.
Do a 1087.00 a month budget in California
Where are you finding a part time job that’s $25 an hour?! Cause I need to know!!
My husbands second job (part time) pays $25 an hour. He works at Lowe’s for extra income.
Giving 10% while trying to get out of debt isn’t a good idea if you ask me 😬
And that’s why you are broke. When I started giving, that’s when I started receiving.
Test it. If you’re plugged into a church tithe. I would suggest at 3 months. See what happens.
Speak for yourself buddy I think you’re the one who’s broke 😂🤣
The feeling you have when you give is priceless. I used to donate even when I was broke. Not tryna go against you. But you should try to have this experience. Have a nice week
I never replied with I don’t give to church or charities. Just Rachel Cruze suggestion of 10% of your income is a little too much someone trying to get out of debt.
Recommending they cut out everything and get a second job before eliminating the $600 of giving to the church isn't what I would do...but I like how you broke the budget down.
the reality of working families you prioritize your bills, essentials, debts. Jebus donations are tax deductible meaning more on your tax return so are HSA for medical expenses. Children outgrown clothes/shoes its gonna be more than $50 I try to go to store at least every 3 months for their needs, I come last. Personally an extra job means to me less time with my kids, grumpy, less energy if looking to boost extra income I just do some overtime 2-3 days or take those short paying surveys during spare time..
Interesting. We live in a rural area with 2 cities north and south of us 90 minutes away each way, so we are rural. My cell phone bill for 2 phones is $156 My cable and internet are 1 bill and its $224 that includes a land line phone but its $10
if you had that pay she is talking about you would have to cut these things. Giving, eating out, car, gym, clothing, fun, kids, misc, you would have $558 left. if you added those things back in but not the car or giving, you would have $60. You would have no savings or emergency fund. Instead of looking for a second job or side hustle, maybe look for an employer who offers health insurance
I'm not sure I believe those utilities. I live in a MUCH cheaper area than Nashville. Before I sold my 988 sq ft house that had new, energy efficient heat/AC, the electricity alone could get to $200 during the hottest times....with 1-2 people.
Thank God you said this because I thought I was the only one.
Seems high...I am in Florida 2500.sq ft house and ours is in summer $190ish and winter/fall/spring $100ish a month on avg. It is a newer home so pretty energy efficient.
Right? Haha our electric is near $300 and we only use fans and lights in our home. We also live in a very high cost living area but still electric is just getting higher. Yucj
My electric this month was 760.
@@lamike9860 holy smokes!!
Where is the savings account??
Pay yourself first
Lol.. I'm in ND!
Standard of Living is not the same as Cost of Living, if you are defining the terms correctly.
I get paid weekly. Does this work for me getting paid weekly.
Joel Osteen, Ken Copland, Bill Graham... they looooove that tithe! 😂 tithe more. Why stop at 10%? Im new to listening Dave and Rachel. Really liking the advice. Its really motivating and freeing. Be charitable, by all means. But consider who's the recipient. DONT FUND YOUR PASTOR'S BABY STEPS!! 😂
With car debt as one of the line items this family shouldn’t be seeing the inside of a restaurant unless they’re working there😂🤣😂
hahaha there are always some sacrifices to make
That’s what I’m saying 😂 that’s the first thing that should have been cut
Tithing 10% is in the Bible. Never had debt fortunately. Live way below our means. We have found that you just can't outgive God. It comes back to us in some way every time. Couldn't live in any debt. There's freedom in what you can do without it always there in front of you. Best wishes to anyone trying to get out of debt. It is like losing weight. One lb. at a time. You can do it.
189.00 for utilities. Yeah I wish. Mine is 1000.00 a month for electric, water and gas.
Before getting a second job, save $517 by cutting the giving to 0.
The fact that someone would have to get a second job just because he gave 500 bucks to church is killing me 😅
$1779 a month for health insurance???
I don't get it- this budget outline doesn't include any savings. Income-Expenses= 0 leaves no savings
4:33 $1700/mo for health insurance is criminal... the fact that Americans are paying insurance companies nearly $200K/decade, per family, shows how bad the healthcare crisis is. It's a THIRD of the entire household income for a family. Can't wait to dedicate my life to finding the solution.
I'm glad my wife and I are just naturally frugal. No budget to work up...we just neither like to spend and this method works for us to save alot. Of course this probably wouldn't work for most.
If your over budget by 900, cutting back on 500 giving down to even 100 a month and don't buy yourself clothes or takeout. That is almost break even. I enjoy giving to church but if we are cutting down on 401k, selling cars, making sacrifices that includes the large giving budget.
This example is unrealistic. You can't cut cable for just one month and the majority of people, health insurance comes out of your pay before you get it. and giving is important but if you can't afford it, then you can't give $500 if its going to put you over budget.
Getting an extra job just to pay for your church donation is wild advice to me.
Cut the donation until it fits into your optimized budget and boom you have a zero-based budget.
5:28 This is where the credit cards come into play.
I’ve been donating too much to my lenders in interest.. I want to get out of debt so badly
You can do it..keep pressing on
Good video BUT...the fact that church givings wasn't cut before getting a second job is just awful. Time is the most important thing and an extra job takes time away from family/kids/free time. Cutting church should be one of the first things to cut from expenses.
I am sorry but who on earth pays these low bills? A family of four eats for 600 a month? 60$ for two cell phones? 60$ for cable? This is definitely not accurate and we are comparable to Nashville I believe! I don’t know how to begin if these are so not accurate . 50$ for 4 kids fun money? Where are they going lol
I'm a family of 4, including 2 teenage boys, I budget $500 for food a month
I have a family of four in Florida with two teens, one with a food allergy, and I budget $625/month for groceries which includes toiletries, laundry detergent, etc. We have Netflix and Disney plus, but no cable. My kids cell phone plans are $15/each with mint mobile (limited data).
@@jenniferbrooke81 additional plans maybe but your main cell Plans are 60$ for two phones? That was her total for phone budget
This seems high to me!
@@laurenfortunato123 , my husband has a phone through work. I have a$35/month plan with straight talk, the mint plans are each individual not add-on plans, each $15/month.
Ohh one thing you missed that i know can get you into trouble is not accounting for taxes on that extra job/income!
I'm retired, debt free and live on $2200 a month.
maybe a real life budget would make more realistic example. average average average average kinda sounds like nobodies budget