Izisekelo zemali: Hlela, Landelela, futhi Londoloze · Isifundo 1 2
Build a Spending Plan That Fits Your Real Life
A step-by-step monthly plan for a sample DC-area household, including tips, cash work, uneven paychecks, and money sent to family.
Kuqediwe kulesi sisetshenziswa
Izingxenye zalesi sifundo azikahunyushelwa olimini lwakho, ngakho-ke zikhonjiswe ngesiNgisi.
Kulesi sifundo
Yini ozoyifunda
- Build a monthly spending and saving plan from your own income and bills, step by step.
- Plan around income that changes, such as tips, gig apps, cash work, or seasonal jobs.
- Include money you send or give to family as a planned expense instead of a surprise.
- Adjust the plan in a month with extra money and in a month with less.
Ukuthi lokhu kuxhumene kanjani namakilasi ethu: Our class covers tracking your income and expenses and making a first spending plan. This lesson shows a full plan for a DC-area worker whose pay changes, and a simple way to plan for months with extra money and months with less.
Amagama okumele wazi
- Uhlelo lokusetshenziswa kwemali (Spending plan)
- Uhlelo lokuthi uzoyisebenzisa kanjani imali olindele ukuyithola inyanga ngayinye, kufaka phakathi izikweletu, ukonga kanye nokusetshenziswa kwemali. Kubizwa nangokuthi isabelomali.
- Inkokhelo Yasekhaya (Take-home pay)
- Imali oyitholayo ngemuva kwentela nokunye ukuncishiswa kuphuma emholweni wakho.
- Imali engenayo engajwayelekile (Irregular income)
- Imali engenayo eshintsha isonto nesonto noma inyanga nenyanga, njengamathiphu, imali engenayo yohlelo lokusebenza lwe-gig, umsebenzi wemali, noma imisebenzi yonyaka.
- Inyanga eyisisekelo (Baseline month)
- Inyanga yakho ephansi kakhulu yemali engenayo. Wakha uhlelo lwakho lokusebenzisa imali kule mali ukuze izikweletu zakho zimbozwe ezinyangeni eziningi.
- Isibopho (Obligation)
- Inkokhelo oyithembise umuntu, njengemali mboleko, imali yesondlo sezingane, imali oyithembise umndeni wakho, noma intela ozoyikweleta.
- I-akhawunti yezikweletu (Bills account)
- I-akhawunti ehlukile, noma imvilophu uma usebenzisa ukheshi, egcina imali kuphela yezikweletu ezihleliwe zanyanga zonke kuze kube yilapho kufanelekile.
- Imali ye-Overdraft (Overdraft fee)
- Imali ekhokhwa yibhange noma inyunyana yesikweletu engakhokhisa uma ukhokha okuthile ngemali engaphezulu kunaleyo onayo ku-akhawunti yakho.
- I-APR (isilinganiso samaphesenti onyaka) (APR (annual percentage rate))
- Izindleko zonyaka zokuboleka imali, kufaka phakathi inzalo kanye nezimali eziningi, zikhonjiswe njengephesenti.
Start with your baseline month
A spending plan shows how you will use the money you expect to get each month. The first step is to list your income and your expenses. The hard part comes when your income changes. Tips, gig apps, cash jobs, and seasonal work can make every month different.
The answer is to plan on a baseline month. This is your lowest typical month of income. It is not your best month, and it is not your average. If you plan on your average, some months will not have enough money for your bills. If you plan on your lowest typical month, your bills are covered in most months, and you decide ahead of time what to do with any extra.
- Find your income for the last 6 to 12 months. Use pay stubs, bank statements, earnings reports from your apps, or a notebook where you write down cash.
- Count only take-home pay: the money you get after taxes and other deductions.
- Find your lowest month. That is your baseline. If that month was very unusual (for example, you were sick for three weeks), use your second-lowest month.
- No records yet? Write down every dollar you get for the next four weeks, including cash. Start with that amount, and update it as you learn more.
Isibonelo
Izindawo eziqashwayo zeholide ezinconywa kakhulu e- Carlos
UCarlos uhlala eLangley Park, eMaryland, futhi wabelana ngefulethi elinamakamelo amabili nomzala wakhe. Ungumpheki womugqa endaweni yokudlela eColumbia Heights, eDC, futhi ukhokhelwa njalo emavikini amabili. Ubuye athole amathiphu, futhi ngezinye izimpelasonto upende amafulethi ngemali. Njalo ngenyanga uthumela imali kumama wakhe e-El Salvador.
| Imali engenayo | Inani |
|---|---|
| Izinkokhelo ezimbili ezivela endaweni yokudlela (inkokhelo yasekhaya) | $ 1,800 |
| Amathiphu (inyanga ejwayelekile ephansi kakhulu) | $ 300 |
| Umsebenzi wokudweba imali (inyanga ejwayelekile ephansi kakhulu) | $ 300 |
| Imali engenayo eyisisekelo | $ 2,400 |
| Uhlobo | Kuyini | Inani |
|---|---|---|
| Isidingo | Ukuqasha (isigamu sakhe) | $ 1,050 |
| Isidingo | Ugesi ne-Inthanethi (isigamu sakho) | $ 85 |
| Isidingo | Izinto zokudla nezinto zasendlini | $ 380 |
| Isidingo | I-Metro nebhasi | $ 110 |
| Isidingo | Ucingo | $ 45 |
| Isidingo | Izingubo, izinwele kanye nemithi | $ 70 |
| Isibopho | Imali kamama wakhe, kanye nemali yokudlulisela | $ 210 |
| Isibopho | Inkokhelo yekhadi lesikweletu | $ 50 |
| Isibopho | Beka eceleni intela yomsebenzi wemali (20% ye- $ 300) | $ 60 |
| Ukonga | Isikhwama esiphuthumayo | $ 100 |
| Ukonga | Izindleko zonyaka (umshuwalense womqashi, izipho) | $ 40 |
| Ufuna | Ukudla nokujabula nabangani | $ 130 |
| Ufuna | Isevisi yokusakaza | $ 15 |
| Okwengeziwe | Okungeziwe kwezimanga | $ 55 |
| Ingqikithi | $ 2,400 |
Imali engenayo engu- $ 2,400 - $ 2,400 ehleliwe = $ 0 esele ukuhlela
Idola ngalinye manje linendawo yalo. Ukonga kanye nokumangala okungeziwe kuyingxenye yohlelo.
Needs, obligations, savings, and wants
Sorting your expenses helps you decide what to protect and what to cut when money is low.
- Needs
- Things you must have to live and work: housing, utilities, food, a way to get to work, a phone, and basic medicine.
- Obligations
- Payments you have promised to someone: loan and credit card payments, child support, money you promised your family, and taxes you will owe.
- Savings
- Money for emergencies, goals, and costs that come once or twice a year, such as renter's insurance or gifts. Put it in the plan like a bill, so it is not left for last.
- Wants
- Things that make life better but that you can do without for a while: eating out, new clothes, streaming, and trips.
Money for family is an obligation. If your family depends on you each month, plan that money every month, the same as a bill, and include the transfer fee. Then it is never a surprise. To lower the fee, compare services before you send. See the lesson on sending money abroad.
Since January 1, 2026, a 1% federal tax applies when you pay for a money transfer to another country with cash, a money order, or a cashier's check. On $200, that is $2. The tax does not apply when you pay from a bank or credit union account or with a debit card.
Cash work needs a tax line. If your net earnings from working for yourself, including cash work, are $400 or more in a year, you generally owe self-employment tax of 15.3% on most of them, and income tax may apply too. Carlos sets aside 20% of his cash pay, but that is only an example. When you file, free tax help from a VITA site can show you how much you owed, so you can choose a better amount for next year. See the lesson on taxes for gig and cash work.
Isibonelo
A month with extra money, and a month with less
When extra money comes in
Carlos decided ahead of time where extra money goes. In October, his tips were $600 and painting paid $500. That is $500 more than his baseline month.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| First: taxes on the extra cash work (20% of the extra $200) | $40 |
| Emergency fund (half of what is left) | $230 |
| Extra payment on his credit card (one quarter) | $115 |
| Wants (one quarter) | $115 |
| Total extra income | $500 |
When a month brings in less
In January, the restaurant was not busy. Tips were only $150, and there was no painting work. Carlos had $450 less than his baseline month. He followed his plan, in this order:
- Cut wants for the month: $145.
- Use the extra for surprises: $55.
- No cash work means no tax to set aside this month: $60.
- Pause saving for emergencies and yearly costs for one month: $140.
- Take the last $50 from his bills account reserve, and put it back the next month.
$145 + $55 + $60 + $140 + $50 = $450
Carlos did not touch rent, utilities, food, or the money his mother depends on. If you cannot pay a bill in full, call the company before the due date and ask about a payment plan.
Use a bills account when pay goes up and down
A bills account is a second account, or an envelope if you use cash, that holds money only for fixed bills. Fixed bills are the same amount every month. When pay comes in at different times and in different amounts, a bills account keeps the bill money safe until the due date.
- Add up your fixed monthly bills. For Carlos: rent $1,050, electricity and internet $85, phone $45, credit card $50, and money for his mother $210. Total: $1,440.
- Divide by the number of paychecks you get in most months. Carlos gets two: $1,440 ÷ 2 = $720 from each paycheck.
- On payday, move that amount to the bills account right away. Many banks and credit unions let you set this up so it happens by itself.
- Pay bills only from the bills account. Use your other account, plus tips and cash work, for groceries, Metro, and daily spending.
- Build a starter reserve: try to keep one extra week of bill money in the bills account.
Paid every two weeks? In most years, two months have three paydays. Do not count the third paycheck in your baseline. Use it to build your bills reserve or your emergency fund.
Paid in cash? Deposit it as soon as you can. Money in an insured account is safer than cash at home, and deposits give you a record of your income. Some banks and credit unions open accounts with an ITIN or a passport. See the lesson on opening a bank account, even without a Social Security number.
Qaphela
Traps when money is low
When a month brings in less, fast-money offers can look like help. Many of them take money from next month.
- Planning on your best month. A plan built on a great month fails in a normal month. Use your baseline.
- Overdraft fees. If you spend more than your balance, your bank may charge a fee for each purchase. Check your balance before you pay, and ask your bank how its overdraft fees work.
- Paycheck advance apps. Some apps charge a fee for fast delivery or ask for a "tip". Small fees on small advances can equal a very high APR. The advance also comes out of your next paycheck, so your next pay period starts with less.
- Online payday loans. DC and Maryland limit interest on most small loans, and Virginia limits the cost of short-term loans. But unlicensed online lenders still offer loans with very high fees. See the lesson on high-cost loans.
Ithiphu
Your 10-minute weekly check-in
Pick the same day each week, for example Sunday evening, and set a reminder on your phone. Then check these five things:
- Write down all the money that came in this week, including tips and cash.
- Look at what you spent. Use receipts, your banking app, or a notebook for cash.
- Compare with your plan. Which lines are over? Which are under?
- Look at the bills due in the next two weeks. Is there enough in the bills account?
- Choose one small change for next week, if you need one.
The plan does not have to be perfect. The goal is to see problems early, while there is time to fix them.
Lower costs and free help near you
Metro Lift. If you get SNAP food benefits from DC, Maryland, or Virginia, you can enroll in Metro Lift and pay half price for Metrobus and Metrorail trips. The discount does not apply to passes or to county buses such as TheBus and Ride On. If Carlos got SNAP and all his trips were on Metrobus and Metrorail, his $110 a month could drop to about $55.
Help with your plan. A financial coach can help you build your first plan and keep using it. These local groups can help:
- DC, Maryland, and Virginia: the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) offers free one-on-one financial coaching in English and Spanish. Call 202-540-7400.
- DC: the DC government's Office of Financial Empowerment and Education runs financial education programs, including Financially Fit DC.
- Maryland: the CASH Campaign of Maryland connects Maryland residents with free financial coaching.
- Northern Virginia: Britepaths offers free financial coaching. Call 703-704-6101.
Izinto ezibalulekile
- Build your plan on your lowest typical month of income, not on your best month or your average.
- Put money for family, savings, and taxes on cash work into the plan like bills, so they are never a surprise.
- Decide ahead of time where extra money goes, and what you will cut first when a month brings in less.
- A separate bills account keeps money for fixed bills safe until the due date.
- A 10-minute check-in each week helps you find problems while there is still time to fix them.
Hlola ukuqonda kwakho
Phendula imibuzo, bese ukhetha Hlola izimpendulo zami. Thola 4 5 ilungelo ukuqedela lesi sifundo. Awukho umkhawulo wesikhathi, futhi asigcini izimpendulo zakho.
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