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Zero-based budget

A monthly budget built around one rule: income minus planned spending should equal zero. Expected income is listed at the top, every category has a Planned and a Spent column, and a reminder line tells you to give every dollar a job.

By Paul Gunder. Free to print for home, classroom and office use; see how our printables are made.

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Zero-Based Budget1 page · US Letter

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Zero-Based BudgetMonthYearIncomeExpectedActualTAKE-HOME PAY AND OTHER INCOMEPaycheck 1Paycheck 2Other incomeTotal incomeTotal plannedIncome minus plannedGive every dollar a job until this is $0.CategoryPlannedSpentDifferenceHOUSINGRent or mortgageElectricityGas or heatingWater, sewer and trashInternetPhoneTRANSPORTATIONCar paymentFuelCar insuranceTransit, parking and tollsFOODGroceriesEating outPERSONAL AND FAMILYHealth insuranceMedical and prescriptionsChildcareClothingSubscriptionsSAVINGS AND DEBTEmergency fundRetirementCredit card paymentsOther debt paymentsOTHERGifts and givingFun moneyNOTESPrintablePal.com · free printable money templatesZero-Based Budget
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On this page

What prints

The title is Zero-Based Budget by default, with lines for the month and year. The income table has the columns Income, Expected and Actual, and a band named "Take-home pay and other income" with rows for Paycheck 1, Paycheck 2, Other income and a spare.

Three empty boxes sit to its right: Total income, Total planned and Income minus planned. Under them, a small line reads "Give every dollar a job until this is $0."

The category table uses the columns Category, Planned, Spent and Difference. Rows are grouped as Housing, Transportation, Food, Personal and family, Savings and debt, and Other, 26 lines in total. Savings and debt are lines like any other, which is the point of this method: saving is something you plan, not what happens to be left.

The settings

  • Heading. Replace the title with your own wording, or leave it blank.
  • Notes box. Turn the ruled box at the bottom on or off.

How the method works

In a zero-based budget you start with the income you expect this month and assign every dollar to a category before you spend any of it. Zero does not mean you spend everything. A dollar sent to the Emergency fund line has a job, same as a dollar sent to Groceries.

Work in pencil. List the must-pay items first (housing, utilities, minimum debt payments), then food and transport, then savings, and leave fun money for last. If the Income minus planned box shows a positive number, give those dollars a home. If it is negative, trim a flexible line. Because income varies, redo the sheet each month and use Spent to see how well the plan held.

Worked example: assigning $3,600

Income: two paychecks of $1,700 plus $200 of other income, so 1,700 + 1,700 + 200 = $3,600.

Planned amounts by band:

  • Housing: 1,150 + 90 + 60 + 45 + 60 + 55 = $1,460
  • Food: groceries 480 + eating out 120 = $600
  • Transportation: car payment 280 + fuel 150 + insurance 110 = $540
  • Savings and debt: emergency fund 300 + credit card 250 = $550
  • Everything else: health insurance 180 + subscriptions 40 + fun money 130 + gifts 100 = $450

Total planned: 1,460 + 600 + 540 + 550 + 450 = $3,600. Income minus planned: 3,600 − 3,600 = $0, so the plan is done.

Keep it honest

Planning is a guide to your own habits, and nothing on this page is advice tailored to you. If your numbers never seem to reach zero, a free session with a nonprofit counselor can help.

Sources

  1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Creating a cash flow budget files.consumerfinance.gov
  2. FDIC: Money Smart for Adults fdic.gov