Personal finance basics for real families

Where to start

If you've never kept a budget, start with budgeting for beginners: list your income, your fixed bills and your spending, then give the rest a plan. When you're ready for more control, a zero-based budget gives every dollar a job, and a paycheck budget works better if you're paid weekly or every two weeks. Our newest guides and printables are collected on the New at HomeBase page.

Want a template to start with? The Annual Budget Spreadsheet ($6.99) is a 12-month budget for Excel and Google Sheets. For free worksheets on goals and spending plans, see the CFPB's Your Money, Your Goals toolkit.

Budgets break when irregular costs show up, which is what sinking funds fix: small monthly amounts set aside for car repairs, holidays and annual bills. If you're carrying balances, compare the debt snowball and debt avalanche methods, and use a savings goal tracker to keep momentum.

Not sure whether paper or a spreadsheet suits you? See printable vs spreadsheet budget planners, the budget categories list, and our side-by-side look at the best budgeting apps for families. If you run a side business, keep it separate from the household budget with our free small business expense spreadsheet.

January is a natural reset. Our guide to making a budget for the new year walks through a fresh start, the no-spend January challenge frees up cash quickly, and how to lower your monthly bills finds money in costs you already pay. Keep the paperwork that backs it all up with our list of how long to keep financial documents.

Looking for one specific topic? Learn how to create a budget spreadsheet, split your money with the 50/30/20 budget, try the cash envelope system, or plan around pay dates with a biweekly budget template. For staying on track, read how to stick to a budget, how to budget as a couple and how to organize bills. Everyday and seasonal costs have their own guides: grocery shopping on a budget and a vacation budget. Side-business owners can start from our expense report template. If you'd rather not build anything, the google sheets budget template does the math, the personal budget planner and monthly bill tracker are printable, and the budget planner book will be a bound version you write in. Paying off debt? Our free debt payoff calculator shows your debt-free date with the snowball and avalanche methods, and our guide on how to save money helps you find the extra money.

This hub is for families who want a budget they'll keep, whether you're starting from zero or tightening a plan you already have. Read the guides in the Start here order below: make a first budget, move to zero-based budgeting once you're comfortable, add sinking funds for irregular costs, then pick a debt payoff method. If you'd rather not build the sheets yourself, the Annual Budget Spreadsheet and the Zero-Based Budget Spreadsheet work in Excel and Google Sheets, and the Budget Planner Printable gives you twelve undated pages to print each month. The Ultimate Budget Bundle includes all three, plus the Sinking Funds Tracker, the Paycheck Budget Spreadsheet, the Debt Payoff Planner and both bill trackers.

Specific situations have their own guides: how to budget on a low income, budgeting as a couple and a fixed expenses list with examples. For everything else, browse the full budgeting blog.

Start here

1. Make your first budget: Income, fixed bills, spending, then a plan for what's left.
2. Give every dollar a job: The zero-based method, with a worked example.
3. Plan for irregular costs: Set aside small monthly amounts for car repairs, holidays and annual bills.
4. Pay down debt: Compare the two payoff methods and pick the one you'll stick with.