💸 BUDGETING WHEN YOU HAVE AN IRREGULAR INCOME — AND STILL WANT PEACE OF MIND 💕

budgeting on a “normal” income is hard enough.

But budgeting when your income is all over the place? That feels impossible. One month you’re doing okay… the next you’re wondering if you can even cover rent.
Whether you’re freelancing, doing side hustles, working commissions, or in seasonal work — I see you, girl. And you are not alone.

But here’s the beautiful truth:

👉 You can create a budget that works even if your income is irregular.
All it takes is a shift in mindset, some strategy, and a whole lot of self-love.

🧠 Step 1: Shift Your Focus From “Monthly Income” to “Baseline Needs”

Instead of stressing over what you might make this month… focus on what you need to survive.

➡ Figure out your bare-minimum expenses:
Think rent, utilities, groceries, transport, phone, insurance.
Write down the absolute least you need to keep the lights on.

💡 Let’s call this your “Survival Budget.”
This number becomes your anchor — no matter how much your income changes.

💼 Step 2: Budget Based on Your Lowest Average Income

This is the golden rule of budgeting with irregular income:
Don’t plan based on your best month — plan based on your worst.

🔹 Look at the last 3 to 6 months of your income.
🔹 Find the lowest month.
🔹 Build your budget as if that’s what you’ll earn every month.

That way, every time you earn more than that, you’ll have extra to save, invest, or use for things you love — guilt-free. 🙌

💰 Step 3: Create a “Hill & Valley” Fund (A.K.A. Your Buffer)

Some months will be amazing. Others… not so much.
That’s why you need a buffer — a cash cushion that lets you smooth out the income rollercoaster.

✅ Whenever you have a higher-income month:
Put the extra into a savings account labeled “Income Buffer” or “Hill & Valley Fund.”

➡ On low-income months, use this fund to cover any gaps.

It’s like your future self sending you a little love note and saying,
“Hey girl, I’ve got you. Breathe easy.”

📆 Step 4: Prioritize With a “Money Map” System

When your income is unpredictable, your spending should be predictable.
That’s why we use a Money Map — a simple list of your expenses, in order of priority.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Essentials – rent, utilities, food, transport

2. Important but flexible – debt payments, phone, insurance

3. Wants & extras – eating out, subscriptions, shopping

Each time you get paid, just walk down the list.
✔ Cover the top priority first.
✔ Then the next… and stop when the money runs out.

It gives you structure without the pressure of forcing a fixed monthly budget.

🫶 Tiny Pep Talk, Because You Deserve It

Budgeting doesn’t mean controlling your money with fear.
It means giving yourself the freedom to live with less stress.
It means honoring your hustle, your heart, and your healing.

So if you’ve been beating yourself up because your budget never works — stop right there.
You’re not broken. Your system just needs to fit your life.

And you can also try.

• Best tools for tracking irregular income

• Sinking funds for peace of mind

• What to do when you have zero income months

• How to automate stability into your chaotic cash flow

 

PEACEFUL STRATEGIES THAT ACTUALLY WORK 💕 (PART 2)

Okay queen, now that you’ve got your foundation set — you know your survival number, built your money map, and started that “Hill & Valley” fund —
let’s talk real-life tools, systems, and emotional safety nets that’ll make this budget stick even when life doesn’t play fair.

Because you deserve stability — even if your income isn’t stable.

🔧 Use the Right Tools (Not Just Spreadsheets That Stress You Out)

You don’t have time to juggle messy notes and calculators.
You need tools that work with you, not against you.

Here are a few game-changers:

1. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

Perfect for irregular income. It follows a “give every dollar a job” system, meaning you only budget what you actually have — not future guesses.
📌 Best for: Control freaks in recovery 😅 and people who want clarity without spreadsheets.

2. Notion or Google Sheets (with a twist)

Create a weekly income + expense tracker. Forget “monthly budgets” — break it down week by week. That’s more flexible and makes low-income weeks feel less scary.

3. Goodbudget

It’s a digital version of envelope budgeting — super visual, easy to use, and perfect if you like seeing where each chunk of money is going.

🪙 Start a Sinking Fund — Your Future Self Will Thank You

Ever get hit with a surprise car repair or annual bill and feel like your world just crumbled?
That’s where sinking funds step in.

A sinking fund is money you slowly save for a specific future expense.

Here’s how to set them up:

✨ Common sinking fund ideas:

• Car maintenance

• Medical bills

• Holiday gifts

• Annual subscriptions

• Travel dreams

Let’s say your car insurance is $600/year. You just save $50/month in a separate folder or bank sub-account.
When it’s due — no panic, no drama, no debt. Just peace.

🧘‍♀️ Plan for $0 Months Without Panic

Reality check:
There will be months when you earn little or nothing. That’s not failure. That’s the nature of variable income.

Here’s how to stay sane when that happens:

🔹 1. Pull from your Hill & Valley Fund

That’s what it’s for — to bridge the gap.

🔹 2. Use your “Money Map” again

Only pay for essentials. Wants can wait. This isn’t forever.

🔹 3. Pause automatic transfers or savings

Don’t beat yourself up. You’ll catch up later. Be gentle with yourself.

🔹 4. Track Non-Cash Wins

Even if you didn’t make money this month, did you rest? Learn a new skill? Create something?
Those wins count too, love. 🌷

📥 Automate the Right Things

Even with irregular income, automation can still be your best friend — you just have to do it differently.

✔️ Automate your bill payments — but only after you receive payment.
✔️ Automate transfers to sinking funds or savings in small amounts, triggered manually or weekly.
✔️ Use bank accounts that allow you to divide money into categories (like Monzo, Chime, or Ally).

💡 Bonus Tip: Keep 2 accounts — one for receiving income, one for spending. That way, you don’t accidentally spend rent money at Target. 😬

🌈 You Don’t Need to Be “Perfect” — You Just Need to Be Intentional

Some weeks will feel amazing. Others will suck.
But budgeting on an irregular income isn’t about predicting the future — it’s about being ready for it.

The goal?
→ To build a life where money doesn’t control you.
→ Where you feel safe even when life is wild.
→ Where you wake up and think, “I’ve got this.”

And trust me — you do.
You’re not behind. You’re just building a system that finally fits you. 💖