A Spending Plan That Actually Works

[@JoshuaBecker]

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that my new book, Things That Matter, is finally here. I put my heart into it, and I can’t wait to share it with you. You can pick up a copy at www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676394/things-that-matter-by-joshua-becker/

[@marvastephens1842]

I have been married for 31 years, and this is the ONLY way that I have kept our books. Literally income minus expenses equals discretionary income.

[@oldcountryman2795]

Income minus saving minus expenses equals discretionary income.

[@sharalli3112]

💯 My father always preaches Needs Vs Wants. Once you figure that out, budgeting becomes much easier.

[@dn5582]

My father used to say you are old enough for your wants not to hurt you. Meaning prioritize needs. Wants are just that. Was a simple saying but I’ve never forgotten it and most of the time live by that. Earlier in life I didn’t but as I’ve gotten older I miss his wisdom and realize the wisdom in that simple statement.

[@stephanieweaver2168]

I appreciate your including savings and donations into regular, recurring spending.

[@julias259]

This is a simple, but do-able list. You can't deny it once you write it down. So many times, we extend ourselves with credit cards because we don't face the real numbers on paper. Thank you for another great easy system to help us out.

[@hilarygibson3150]

I'm not a tech person, one A4 sheet for the master budget and a small index card to keep a running total for my allocations. Works for me.

[@hilaryjoseph9706]

Hi Hilary... I never been able to say that to another Hilary

[@hilarygibson3150]

@@hilaryjoseph9706 Hi Hilary 👋, we are a rarity!

[@hilaryjoseph9706]

Hope you're a happy Hilary sharing love and kindness in your neck of the woods😄...hope you're living your best life now and not waiting until some undefined time in the future. .hope most of all we will meet up in heaven if not here on Earth... blessings and love to you

[@clarissejones9353]

I love the spending plan it is more expensive sounding over a budget which feels so contracting. I really enjoy watching and hearing from Joshua

[@forgetthatgirl]

I think a lot of people don’t pay attention to their spending habits, especially when its for small purchases. $5 latte here, buying lunch out every day. For example, years ago I discovered that I was spending over $100 a month just on Starbucks! I think when you really track what you’re actually spending you can better develop a spending budget. Always enjoy your videos

[@susanbenedict6988]

My next step after that was to have 2 checking accounts, 1 for bills and 1 for spending like groceries, clothing, etc. All income goes into the bill account and I transfer a flat amount to the spending every payday. Can't go over on the spending and what's left in the bill payment account goes to pay off debt. I need automatic instead of watching a spreadsheet.

[@dollydhawan2195]

This is only way we have kept our track of our household expenses. This method works!!

[@stacystacy6087]

That's an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing.

[@shelleyjames4446]

That is genius!

[@vickiewilkins1579]

I just created a house account, put all my utilities on a budget plan with the companies along with car and mortgage payments. Then add an additional 10% to the account. This way I won't come up short. Everything is automated. I also track the due dates in my calendar. Check it weekly to make I am on track. Keep all overages in the account as a running balance.

[@TheMcChelle]

This video really helped me, Joshua! I made a spending plan and realized that I have a nice chunk of discretionary change left over at the end of every month. And I saw areas to curb my spending. Now I know for sure I can increase my auto-save goal and pay more in my mortgage. 👍🏽

[@budrunner131]

I now have a craving for cinnamon rolls. I may have to add that to recurring expenses.

[@ElBoyoElectronico]

My wife and I have been doing this for years! We have an excel spread sheet that we started, when we bought our first appartment. One of the best things, we ever did. Also, once you have it, you can always quickly adapt it.

[@ddd1dorin396]

Some FALSE Joshua Becker here!!

[@JoshuaBecker]

Thanks, reported them.

[@valeriehowden471]

Great idea. I read a book (can't remember the title etc) but the biggest take home message was you are in more control of what you spend than what you earn. 7 years ago we moved to an older neighborhood so our mortgage was gone 3 years earlier, the taxes were 1/3 less but we have same square footage and lot size is 50% bigger which helps with our back yard garden. Yes, we had some fixing up to do but it happens to all houses and our current home is now worth about the same as our younger house.

[@michelesusanne1]

Going on 30 yrs of marriage and a budget has kept us from having even 1 argument about money. When you see it on paper, you don't have any excuse to be in the dark about your finances.

[@susanproctor3247]

It's like he saw into my house. When he said you could spend it on cinnamon rolls, I was eating one. I looked up and him, like woah, how'd he know? hehehehe

[@gailtester8749]

I started doing this at the first of the year and was thinking to myself that I don't need to do a budget any more than this. Thanks for confirming that. You've lost weight! You look great!

[@ayleenrivera101]

The system you speak about has worked for me for the past 20 years. Now I only have 5 major monthly bills. Another thing I do is purchase $500 cDs so when I have an emergency and need quick cash I simply borrow against the CD. This way I still have money gaining interest while paying a lower interest rate on the loan against the CD. I learned that from my father! I get to eat my cake and save it too! Blessings Lee

[@brendahall2018]

Thanks, that was super helpful. I have never succeeded at keeping a budget where I have to track every single thing. This just makes so much more sense to me.

[@shirleygeorge6351]

Wow! as always a ready reckoner for sensible, sustainable & satisfying living.Thank you,Joshua.God bless you.

[@eileencarroll6418]

I thought that was a budget. TIP: Make retirement and emergency fund and regular savings priority recurring expenses, NOT DISCRETIONARY money. TIP: Plan priority choices in advance and not moment by moment, e.g.; I will not buy any coffee, pop or snacks until I have 6 months income set aside in an emergency fund; I will not spend money on vacations until my mortgage is paid.

[@j.m.7056]

What? No vacations for 30 years?

[@eileencarroll6418]

@@j.m.7056 No vacation spend for 13.5 years because I paid off my 15-year mortgage 1.5 years early by paying extra toward the principle every month. Stayed home and went to local beaches, forest preserves, museums, concerts, worked on some fine art projects, home improvements, sewing, got together with friends...

[@j.m.7056]

@@eileencarroll6418 Glad you were in a position financially to accomplish that goal. We all have different circumstances!

[@keylalipo7778]

@@eileencarroll6418 agreed! When you have a specific goal and stay very focused on it, it causes you to exercise discipline when making choices that might affect reaching your goal. Staycations are definitely the way to go in the meantime!

[@lyndais8736]

nice one

[@anng.r.687]

One thing to add is that once you figure out your discretionary remainder then decide how much you are going to save for yourself. Then even if it’s only $20 a week, put that $20 into your savings. Because I found that if you don’t save for yourself first, you always manage to spend the rest of the money.

[@pameehanson3866]

Sadly they do not teach these things in school as we need to include kids on this to let the learn and understand how to be responsible and learn how to save and spend wisely. That was something my dad showed us as he was a farmer and only got paid once a year so you try to figure that budget. I wished I had paid closer attention.

[@sharonozvenom]

Love your channel . You explain everything in a no frills no nonsense way . 👍

[@garlanddavis7099]

Very good! I make good homemade cinnamon rolls at fraction of purchasing them!

[@lakmalwimalarathne6699]

I'm a Sri Lankan. Thank you! Great videos and ideas. Valuable and practical.

[@clairebuckland8957]

I have always budgeted successfully and am debt free. Your video has helped me overcome some worry about a forthcoming drop in regular income and the doubling of energy costs. Looking at all my direct debits on paper, showed me that there are some, that are not essential and can be cancelled. Needs v wants; peace of mind comes into both categories. Many thanks for your guidance towards achieving it.

[@LoriTaylorSmithGA]

Great perspective. I really do want cinnamon rolls now, though.

[@JoshuaBecker]

Me too.

[@texantraveler8884]

I’ve been doing this for at least 25 years and yes, it’s very helpful.

[@kathrynb3718]

Amazing thank you. You are a very thoughtful and wise beacon in these very strange times. Thank you so much 🌟

[@smokypoo]

great advice, been doing that ever since I started working. excel is your friend because you can just update the amounts and you get instant results but then again a plain notebook with the same thing will do( you don't have any excuse not to create a budget now 😁 )

[@jenihinton6135]

My husband’s fluctuates but has a basic bottom line. We figure the budget on that bottom line and the extra goes into bank savings for short term needs like auto or clothes or the money market for college tuition.

[@kailaflower3098]

Thank you for video! We are trying to figure out how to set up a budget for our house hold right now, to make living less stressful!

[@mariadionisiodionisio3062]

Happy Sunday Joshua, thanks for sharing your wonderful blessing time to help everyone with the humble heart ❤️ stay safe and strong 💪

[@amiek9226]

I like this. It’s nice balance between financial discipline and flexibility.

[@bcurtis2010]

Have been loving all your videos - clear, straight forward, helpful! I never had a name for this type of “budgeting” but this is how my brain worked out to budget when we were in “typical” debt at the end of our 20’s! Paid off around $55,000 in debt in year one, then the house in year two. After such laser focus, my husband and I fizzled out and never set any new goals with our new found financial freedom! We talked about our goals this evening and now I stumbled upon this video. Meant to be! Thanks for lighting the fire in me again! Feels good to have boundaries for ourselves and a direction/goal for our finances!

[@breec3346]

Aha thank you for clearing up the fact that savings amounts are fixed expenses!!! Now I know that the 76.88 I save each month doesn’t ever change!! And now I know that I have 20.00 left over to spend on what I want to buy AFTER I calculated my fixed expenses and my income!! Yay!!

[@fisheracademy]

thank you! the perfect little prompt to do some updates in this area.

[@charming710]

Changing the mindset on managing money. Thank you

[@ddd1dorin396]

Some FALSE Joshua Becker here!

[@ddd1dorin396]

Some FALSE Joshua Becker here!!!

[@antoniodominion9418]

Thank you for taking the time to put out this video on spending plans! It really breaks it down to the simplest form and takes away the mind-boggling nature of a budget. ~Antonio Dominion

[@terry651000]

Thank you Joshua, I have been doing this for a few years now on a spreadsheet, because I had a lot of credit card debt a few years ago due to a divorce.

[@pucheumaureen1487]

Good advice Joshua. A quick and easy approach to keeping an eye on monthly spending... You could say quite a 'minimalistic' approach ;)

[@lizziemcdougall2767]

This is the way that we plan our money, and it has worked well to keep us out of debt. We have savings and payments automatically deducted whenever possible, and plan for these automatic withdrawals to occur on payday. We can then see how much is left over for spending on groceries and other costs until the next payday. There are lots of apps that can help you see where your money is going, but for us, as long as we are staying out of debt and saving some money, we are satisfied with how we are spending our money. Many thanks for another great video!

[@caroc8290]

So grateful of this tips, your content is great it’s been very helpful and easy to follow. I appreciate it!

[@levykhellyjacob1987]

Thank you, You give me an idea to do a budget this year. God bless you 🙏❤🕊🙌

[@Sunny-h3g2l]

Thanks for this video. I love that it's a simple concept but such an effective way to budget.

[@carlaportocarrero6464]

Very good advice 😃!! Thanks. ☺️

[@anniesshenanigans3815]

excellent. most do not realize the lifestyle creep because they use credit cards.... but some of the advice here is 'generalized' and to say that you don't have to know where every dollar is going is a huge mistake!! I did a spending plan and it did not change my lifestyle to any great degree.. when I did a budget my life changed. I went back over every expense in the past year on my bank account and saw exactly where all my money was going!! That is a huge eye opener. Since that time, I have a monthly budget, go over it at the beginning of each month, and I have saved enough in the past 5 years to quit my job and life off until I am retirement age.

[@gerlindechristina238]

This actually is a great method! thanks for suggesting and presenting.

[@lynforeman8460]

I’ve always had a budget book since married 49 yes spend what you can afford save And sometimes sacrifice eg working out needs a little surprises along the way : you are better appreciative and in controlyour mmm

[@anaalves3658]

My husband is great at putting all of our expenses down on paper, I just looked at it this week, I was surprised by how much our daughters schooling and activities actually cost us😳. But she is thriving and we can afford it so we are happy to spend that. The only thing that I struggle with is groceries, it's all over the place 🤦🙄🙄🙄. I have been trying to meal plan, but it's only been 3 weeks so can't say if it's helping or not just yet.

[@Sabiha-30]

I do this. Works great. Takes time to get use to doing....but you can get used to it

[@gypsybelle4757]

I like this mind set shift. Putting it into action this week!

[@elizabethspence7623]

Thank you, I do need to start look at my spending and budget first instead I spend then wonder where did my money go?

[@sylvialb9823]

I first learned about this in a personal finance book by Elizabeth Warren. She advises separating (a) fixed expenses, (b) savings/debt payments and (c) discretionary spending. I have also heard this referred to as the „Bucket“ (as opposed to „Budget“) approach. Know how much spending goes into each of the three buckets. The b bucket might start out as debt payments, but as soon as those are paid off, goes towards saving.

[@gingerstrahan7464]

Semantics is a wonderful tool. A Spending Plan and a Budget Are the same thing, just worded differently. Budgeting gets a bad rap because it sound limiting and confining. A Spending Plan “sounds” different. Your take on it seems a bit more relaxed and easily understandable. The big takeaway for either “Plan” is that you know what your money is doing and how to control it for your best benefit. The other option is that you know nothing about where you stand financially…it just comes in, but seems to go out even faster without you being in control. That is scary.

[@WesBergen]

I‘m a lazy guy and budgeting never worked for me. About four years ago I switched to the spending plan and automated the recurring payments as much as possible. Now it works perfect.

[@nancyyoung9972]

Love this!Thank you! I’m on a fixed income.This plan helping me get by.

[@nhobby11]

This is a good way to get your spending under control. I don’t like a budget but a spending plan...👍

[@mae12183]

Love your videos! I think that 'spending plan' definitely sounds better than 'budget'. I also think that you should treat yourself to some cinnamon rolls. 😁

[@TJ-fi7cb]

🤣

[@thutran1426]

The only one different thing from your youtube channel make me could not miss any video is they are not too long to listen

[@weightlosswithjohanna]

I watch most videos on 1.5x, 1.75x, or sometimes 2x speed. It cuts the time in half and you can watch more that way :)

[@SilviaN1]

Thank you for sharing your good advice again :-D

[@oldcountryman2795]

This one is so easy. Have your savings withdrawn before you get paid. Live on that pay and don’t borrow. Don’t buy things you don’t need. Guaranteed to work every time. You don’t need envelopes or spreadsheets. If you feel like you won’t make it without a written budget then you need a second job or a better job, which increases income and decreases opportunities to spend money you don’t have.

[@giennefarcais6834]

Joshua, it sounds like somebody needs a cinnamon roll! Great video, as always.

[@TJ-fi7cb]

Right! He mentioned it twice 😆

[@rachelamundsen8265]

Watching videos on veganism and minimalism helped me to save enough to travel to Hawaii and Puerto Rico in the past year. Recommend. No more “wants”. Life become easy.

[@watchwoman16]

Please speak to how to budget paying off credit card debt while still living a normal lifestyle

[@evraalexandrite3770]

3:44 that's how you save some to pay off credit card debt

[@mariaboulukos2736]

For me and one adult child I take care of , we live on a fixed income .I calculate my credit card payments into my recurring budget each month .Depends what you mean " a normal life " ?

[@watchwoman16]

@@mariaboulukos2736 Hi, I meant that I could spend all my discretionary income paying back debt. I don’t know how much to put toward it. I pay monthly and yes it is included in my budget but I don’t know how much to save/spend and how much to pay back.

[@Scrappicat]

I would pay as much on the credit card as possible. If you have any interest rate at all on that card or cards, you want to pay it down fast and then not carry a balance anymore. Once you get your debt paid off, then you can have some discretionary money. If you only pay the minimum payment, it could take years to pay off.

[@azwife35]

Debt snowball. Figure out how much you owe on all your cards. Then how much you are paying on them each month. Pay only the minimum payment on all but the one with the lowest balance. Dump everything you can onto that one each month until it's paid off. Then use that amount to add to the minimum payment on the next lowest balance, etc. As each one gets paid off, you add all that you had been paying on them to the minimum balance on the next highest. If you have unexpected extra money, add that to whichever card you are paying off - such as a tax refund or a check from a relative or something like that. You will be surprised at how quickly this works. You can google "debt snowball" for lots more info.

[@marynienhouse6143]

Yes, very helpful! Thank you!

[@carloscanenguez8488]

Thank you for sharing Joshua

[@MegaDiddlemaus]

Thank you for sharing this valuable info❤️

[@olivia9066]

I really, really need the spending plan! Thanks a lot!👍👍👍❤

[@misssicily100]

story of my life!! But I keep gods words of wisdom to keep me going. God Bless J

[@imbonnie]

Interesting. I did that a long time ago.

[@josephkolodziej9036]

Hi, can I get an image of this exact sheet somewhere? Thank you.

[@TraceB]

I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I’ve had a cinnamon roll/bun until now.

[@vickyfisher-bz4jj]

went to a get onr

[@anitas5817]

I want the cinnamon rolls.

[@marjoreal]

Thank you for this, Joshua.

[@piperlani]

Great advise as always!!!👍🏼

[@a11312]

I just record all my transactions, income and expenses in an app and then each month add to a spreadsheet. I can see my income, taxes, expenses, assets, liabilities, net worth, and more by category/account for each month/year and use this to forecast put into future months/years

[@ayleenrivera101]

Do you have any suggestions on emergency fund such as deductable insurance, plumbing expence, car repair etc. It is hard for me but 5 yrs ago I sacrificed $100 a month in savings for such emergencies. I had to cut food budget and now I learned the value of fasting 2x a week.😏 and learning to cook at home. Also its nice to see the money there gaining interest.

[@schuylergeery-zink1923]

A budget gives you permission to spend... it’s just more so about intentionality. I think something looser like this works great if you don’t have debt to pay off and have a good income. But when things are tight keeping track is super important. Or else I overspend... at the grocery story 😂 (love to cook)

[@angelasnodgrass6621]

Thank you this is very helpful.

[@debbievonklock5504]

Can you do a video on what cleaning products you use to be more minimal?

[@azwife35]

Honestly, vinegar and water will work in almost all places.

[@jillpolino6273]

Follow Clean my Space, there are several videos on how to make your own products (easy) Tons of ideas !!

[@jagdeepdhillon2544]

Loved the video... So simple so meaningful then i thought lets check comments for other ideas on budgeting. So much for cinnamon rolls.. Hey Joshua, you better make a video on cinnamon rolls... Lol

[@melaneeminer6022]

Thanks Joshua...now I want cinnamon rolls!

[@AdisCandra]

ive been doing this with my husband since day one but sometimes we go over our leftover income and thats the tricky part for us - spending on our actual leftover income. if you have any tips on that, that would be awesome. we've tried multiple techniques, using daily allowances, weekly, etc etc but nothing has worked for us.

[@Bessie66]

I’ve just read a quote and it’s going to be my new mantra “stay in your own financial lane” 😂

[@annabellecork5791]

Thank you very helpful !

[@dibbsmiddleditch8679]

Great ideas, thank you for the needed motivation. But now I need to find somewhere that supplies cinnamon rolls!!!! 🤔 xx

[@dolphinsandsunsets]

when you start talking about budgeting and figures... i start zoning out and had to re-watch this..then i realized something...my brain just doesn't work as quickly on these things without infographics. could you do this with infographics pls?

[@bmindful1888]

Great video! 💰💰💰

[@pilatesyogataichifit]

I have ALWAYS done this in my head, since I was a small child. But then... my dad was an accountant...

[@marystackpole118]

THANK YOU!!!!

[@vli5]

I wasn't able to have a spending plan or a budget, that's because I don't have fixed income or monthly expenses, I usually pay for things in full, no mortgage, no car payment, you save a lot on deals and interest this way. All I do, I use an app to track income and expenses to see where my money came from and went to. For me, the best way to save money is not to spend it. My saved money gets invested as soon as possible so it doesn't lose value with inflation.

[@janeknight3597]

No

[@sarapawsonherrington2595]

Brilliant! A great way to look at how to manage your income before you have gotten in a position that requires change to survive and thrive.

[@renatha_luz4299]

Fantastic!!!!

[@sueclemente4030]

Well said 😊not enough people plan ,

[@feathersky860]

You Are A Wise Man 🙏🏽 🇺🇸 ✔️ 🦅❤️

[@Afett111]

So I always see wonderful people like you doing budgets and explaining how to do it, but how do you do it when your income can vary as much as 1500 a month? Because some months I have 1500 coming in? Sorry voice to text would love to have people actually answer this in a thorough way instead of just calculate your expenses and go from there, cuz that is not helpful when you have such a varying income.. it's just stressful.

[@eileencarroll6418]

Since you can ONLY control spending, base your recurring expenses and savings contributions on the 1,500, then figure out how much you feel secure spending on housing, transportation, food, etc. For 6 years, I got rid of my car and bought a warm second hand coat and a shopping cart so I could take public transportation and walk everywhere. For someone else, trading down to a bike might make more sense. If an efficiency apartment is outside your comfort spend, consider renting a room in a house. Negotiate part of rent or WiFi in exchange for your labor such as yard work, snow removal, cleaning or elder care. The goal is for you to feel secure on the reliable portion of your income. Any additional income could go toward savings to improve your long term security or smooth out the bumps between seasonal incomes.

[@PlayedbyInstinct]

Expenses are expenses, regardless of how much you have coming in month to month. Work out the budget/spending plan as normal (ie, as described in the video). Some months you will have surplus income, so no problem. Some months you will have a shortfall, meaning you will have no choice but to eat into your savings. You will have to calculate your discretionary allowance month to month, as the money comes in, paying expenses first. Hopefully the surplus months counterbalance the deficit months, and you are able to meet all your expenses in a year and still save money. If not, then the hard truth is you need to reevaluate your lifestyle or find a different line of work, or both, otherwise you will literally go broke. Focus on how much you save in a year rather than a month, to keep things in perspective, and don't splurge on frivolous things in your good months. It also helps to have a decent cash float (at least a few thousand dollars) in your transaction account (for recurring expenses, not for discretionary spending) to help buffer the months when there is little money coming in (so you can like, buy groceries and fuel when you need it).

[@PlayedbyInstinct]

You can also project your income forward to estimate how much you will have in a year, for example take your last 6 months of fluctuating income, work out the monthly average, and project it out to 12 months. Then work out your annual expenses (rent, food, bills, transport), and see where you are at, ballpark, for the next year. If your annual expenses exceed your estimated annual earnings then you are in trouble and will need to make changes. If you have income left over, then you should feel confident in weathering low income months. Check in every 3-6 months to monitor changes in income/expenses and adjust accordingly. In either case, you will have to clamp down on spending. Changes to improve your budget could be as simple as cutting out fast food, to as drastic as changing jobs, getting a 2nd job, or moving somewhere cheaper. Just do what you have to do. Speaking from experience...

[@eileencarroll6418]

@@PlayedbyInstinct Excellent! To expand on your idea,, projecting both income and expenses across a year helps form a good picture of fluctuating income compared to when annual (home owners insurance, income tax, car/furnace/septic-field- maintenance) and biannual expenses (auto insurance, property tax, dental cleaning/checkups) are due. That income/expense calendar gives you a predictable picture of when you will need more of a cash-flow-cushion. KNOWLEDGE = STRESS REDUCTION. because you can adjust for what you can reasonably predict. An emergency savings fund reduces stress against the unpredictable. It is all about honoring how secure we feel. Being mindful of valuing this long-term security helps us avoid the self-sabotage of impulse spending when we are having a challenging day.

[@eileencarroll6418]

Afett111 ---- Do these replies give you enough detail? Is there anything more specific you need more help with?

[@Ripplesinthewaters]

Joshua, were you hungry when you filmed this? LOL! Now, I want Cinnabon!

[@anac.4642]

What about who has irregular monthly income? Any tips?

[@j.m.7056]

I have used this system successfully for many years. To begin I created a sheet for each month for a period of a year (or less if that works for you). On it I logged each dollar amount spend in each category. This gave me a real world picture from which to create a spending plan. I’ve revisited it from time to time as life changes happen. Also, each month I put money in a savings account just for the purpose of paying vehicle insurance, new tires, and other such expenses. Feels so good to know exactly what is coming in and going out!