budgeting
Tracking your spending
Budgeting is the process of planning how to spend money over a period of time.
It involves estimating income, allocating funds to expenses, and tracking whether actual spending matches the plan.
The term applies at any scale—personal finance, household management, or corporate planning: We're budgeting for a new car next year.
Budgeting implies discipline and foresight, sometimes with connotations of restraint or limitation.
Domestic unit of residents
- groceriesFood bought at stores
- rentPayment for temporary use
- utilitiesEssential infrastructure services
- entertainmentAgreeable diversion of attention
savings · debt · retirement · 401k · IRA · piggybank · allowance · spending
Tabular data organizer
- expensesMoney spent on things
- incomeRegular monetary receipts
- allocationDistribution of shares
- cashflowNet money movement
categories · tracking · monthly · quarterly · annual · forecast · projection · estimates
Unauthorized claiming or allocation
- allocationDistribution of shares
- deficitAmount still owed
- surplusAmount exceeding requirement
- fiscalOf public revenue
taxpayer · entitlements · discretionary · mandatory · congressional · municipal · federal · state
Imposed maximum points
- capsHeadwear or upper limits
- cutbacksReductions in spending
- trimmingCutting away excess
- belt-tighteningReducing expenditures deliberately
prioritizing · trade-offs · sacrifices · restrictions · rationing · scarcity · stretching · shoestring
Business income total
- costsAmounts required to pay
- overheadLocated directly above
- payrollStaff wages collectively
- capitalWealth used for investment
operating · departmental · quarterly · profit · loss · accounts · ledger · treasury
Tabular data organizer
- softwarePrograms directing computer operations
- appsMobile software, briefly
- calculatorElectronic computation device
- templatesPreset formats for copying
dashboard · charts · graphs · categories · formulas · automation · sync · alerts
household
Domestic unit of residents
- groceriesFood bought at stores
- rentPayment for temporary use
- utilitiesEssential infrastructure services
entertainment · savings · debt · retirement · 401k · IRA · piggybank · allowance · spending · frugality
spreadsheet
Tabular data organizer
- expensesMoney spent on things
- incomeRegular monetary receipts
- allocationDistribution of shares
cashflow · categories · tracking · monthly · quarterly · annual · forecast · projection · estimates · targets
appropriation
Unauthorized claiming or allocation
- allocationDistribution of shares
- deficitAmount still owed
- surplusAmount exceeding requirement
fiscal · taxpayer · entitlements · discretionary · mandatory · congressional · municipal · federal · state · earmark
limits
Imposed maximum points
belt-tightening · prioritizing · trade-offs · sacrifices · restrictions · rationing · scarcity · stretching · shoestring · tight
revenue
Business income total
capital · operating · departmental · quarterly · profit · loss · accounts · ledger · treasury · CFO
spreadsheet
Tabular data organizer
- softwarePrograms directing computer operations
- appsMobile software, briefly
- calculatorElectronic computation device
templates · dashboard · charts · graphs · categories · formulas · automation · sync · alerts · notifications
- life skillsreading, writing, cooking, cleaning, laundry
- adultingpaying bills, taxes, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning
- business activitiesmeetings, meeting, hiring, firing, training
- Financial Goalsretirement, savings, emergency fund, investment, college fund
- homemakingcooking, cleaning, laundry, recipes, baking
- homemaking skillshomemaking, meal planning, organization, decorating, housekeeping
budgetingwinging it
Proceeding without preparation
splurging · flying by the seat of your pants · living paycheck to paycheck
budgetingoverspending
Exceeding one's budget
splurging · squandering · extravagance · profligacy · living beyond one's means
- household budgetingManaging family income allocation
- zero-based budgetingAllocation requiring complete rejustification
- family budgetingPlanning household income and expenses
- home budgetingManaging household income and expenses
- budgeting strategiesMethods for allocating funds
- budgeting appTool for managing money digitally