I am curious how you transitioned from a non budget person to a person who started budgeting. Every year I want to start but I get overwhelmed and quit immediately. lol
I would start by writing down all your income and expenditures for an entire month, especially because you have some side gigs that sometimes pay. That will give you a sense of where your money comes from and where it goes. You can use an old notebook if you want. Then, after a month, you can see what you earn and spend--and if there are any surprises. After that, you can think about a more formal budget.
In the past I've used 0% interest credit cards to help smooth the transitions between high earning months and low earning months.
One time I cleared off ALL credit card balances and moved them to a 0% card, then made big payments on good money months vs. low-ish payments on less money months.
This strategy can deff be risky if you don't manage it well, but it worked great the few times I've done it and it freed up cash flow when I needed it.
I am curious how you transitioned from a non budget person to a person who started budgeting. Every year I want to start but I get overwhelmed and quit immediately. lol
I would start by writing down all your income and expenditures for an entire month, especially because you have some side gigs that sometimes pay. That will give you a sense of where your money comes from and where it goes. You can use an old notebook if you want. Then, after a month, you can see what you earn and spend--and if there are any surprises. After that, you can think about a more formal budget.
In the past I've used 0% interest credit cards to help smooth the transitions between high earning months and low earning months.
One time I cleared off ALL credit card balances and moved them to a 0% card, then made big payments on good money months vs. low-ish payments on less money months.
This strategy can deff be risky if you don't manage it well, but it worked great the few times I've done it and it freed up cash flow when I needed it.
Interesting! That's a good strategy for people who can be disciplined.