Cashco Financial

Mastering Budgeting: The 50/30/20 Rule for Financial Freedom

For many, the word “budget” has a negative association as it can feel like a restriction on your life.

But when done right, a budget can actually help you minimize money-related stress, while giving you more control over your spending and saving habits.

In this article, we’re going to cover some of the basic terms associated with budgeting and share a simple way to create your own budget that will help you pay for your expenses while taking care of your own wants and needs.

To help you through the process, we recommend downloading this FREE Budgeting Template which can be filled out at home or at any Cashco branch.

But before we go too far, what exactly is a budget? A budget is a simple plan for every dollar and cent you make.

Within a budget, some of your money will go toward paying bills, some will go toward basic necessities like food, some will go into your savings, and some will be just for you.

But how do you know where your money should go?

The first step is to categorize your money into 3 groups: Needs, Wants, and Savings.

For example, a typical “Needs” category would include things like:

  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Groceries
  • Child care
  • Insurance

Your “Wants” category, on the other hand, will include the “nice-to-haves” such as:

  • Dining out
  • Entertainment
  • Personal shopping
  • Travel

Finally, your “Savings” category would include short and long-term savings goals like:

Keep in mind, these are just examples. You’ll need to look at your own spending habits to come up with the items that apply to you and your life.

Once you make a list for each of the 3 categories, it’s time to figure out how much money to allocate to each group.

The 50/30/20 Rule

If you’re new to budgeting, we recommend trying out the 50/30/20 rule which allocates 50% of your money to “Needs,” no more than 30% for “Wants,” and at least 20% for the “Savings” category.

For example, if you make $2000/month, $1000 would go into the “Needs” category, $600 would go into the “Wants” category, and $400 would go into your “Savings” category.

Following the 50/30/20 rule will help you avoid deficits (spending more than you earn) so you can eventually get to a place where you experience regular surpluses (having extra money left over after your expenses have been paid).

If you’re interested in creating your own budget, download our FREE Budgeting Template to get started or visit any Cashco branch for your own copy.

If you’d like to learn more about budgeting, check out this article from last year’s Financial Literacy Week which goes into more detail!

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