Budgeting: The Battle Plan Before the War

“Every dollar has a name.” — Dave Ramsey

You don’t go to war without a plan. And you don’t beat debt, or build wealth without a budget. That’s the truth. Tracking your money is the intel. Budgeting is the battle plan. It’s what turns chaos into order, panic into purpose.

Budgeting is not optional. It’s not something you’ll “get around to.” It’s step one. The foundation. If you skip it, you lose.

So how do you budget? Here’s the no-fluff, no-nonsense approach...

Step-by-Step Budgeting for the Relentless

1. List Your Income (All of It)

Your salary. Side gigs. Freelance scraps. Government payments. Every pound. Every penny.
Don’t lie to yourself. Lies built the hole. Truth will get you out.

2. List Your Fixed Expenses

Rent, utilities, minimum debt payments. Stuff that hits you whether you like it or not.
Write it down. Not from memory. From bills. Be exact.

3. List Your Variable Expenses

Food, fuel, transport, gym, phone, subscriptions.
This is where your money leaks. Tighten it.

4. Assign Every Pound a Job (Zero-Based Budgeting)

Your income minus your expenses should equal zero.
If there’s extra, it’s going to debt, savings, or investment, on purpose.
If there’s a shortfall? Time to cut. Ruthlessly.

5. Cut Ruthlessly, Not Emotionally

Netflix doesn’t care about your future.
That weekly Deliveroo? A tax on your laziness.
If it doesn’t keep you alive or working, it’s negotiable.

6. Budget Weekly, Not Monthly (If You’re Struggling)

Smaller timeframes = tighter control.
You wouldn’t steer a speeding car with monthly check-ins. Your finances are no different.

7. Adjust Every Time You Spend

Spend £20? Update the budget. In real time.
Discipline is built in the repetition. No shortcuts.

8. Review Weekly. Reset Monthly.

What worked? What didn’t?
A budget isn’t static. It evolves. But it never disappears.

You do this every week. No skipping. No whining. No “I forgot.” You didn’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget your budget.

This is the battlefield. This is the edge. Budgeting is what separates those who survive from those who win.

Own every pound, or prepare to be owned.

Download our Budgeting Tool

Purpose

This sheet gives you a high-level view of your monthly financial performance: how much you planned to spend and earn, how much you actually did, and whether you're moving forward or bleeding cash.

Key Features:

1. Starting Balance (To Right):

Manually input your starting balance (e.g., £1,000).
This acts as your opening "cash on hand" for the month.

2. Visual Summary (Top Center):

Start vs. End Balance Bar Chart: Shows your opening and closing cash levels.
% Savings Change: Percentage gain/loss in your cash reserves.
$ Saved This Month: Net increase from your starting balance to now.

3. Planned vs. Actual Expenses & Income:

Compare what you planned to spend or earn vs. what you actually did.
Variance is tracked:
- Positive = you earned or saved more than expected.
- Negative = overspending or under-earning.

Category Breakdown:

Expenses (Left Table):

Categories like Food, Rent, Transport, etc.
You fill in "Planned" values at the beginning of the month.
"Actual" pulls from what you enter in the Transactions tab.
“Diff.” column shows if you're over or under budget per category.

Income (Right Table):

Same structure, Planned vs. Actual.
Includes sources like Paycheck, Bonus, Savings, etc.

How to Use It

Set the Start Balance at the top manually (e.g. what’s in your bank on the 1st).
Plan your budget by filling in the "Planned" columns for both income and expenses.
Log all real transactions in the Transactions sheet or via the second sheet you showed earlier.
Review the dashboard weekly to see how you’re tracking.
Adjust your behavior if you're going over in any category.

Pro Insight:

This sheet is your command center. It's where awareness turns into action. Use it not just to observe, but to make decisions. If your “Home” expenses are £50 over—cut somewhere else. If you saved more than expected—double down and snowball your progress.

Download Budget

Subcribe to our Newsletter

Subcribe to our Newsletter where we discuss saving and investing tips.