Budgeting sounds boring, yeah. But running out of money mid-month? Way worse.
If you’ve never made a budget before, don’t worry. You don’t need an app. You don’t need to be “good with numbers.” You just need to figure out 3 things:
→ What you earn
→ What you spend
→ What’s left
Let’s keep it super simple.
✅ Step 1: What’s Coming In?
Ignore what’s “on paper.”
Look at what actually lands in your account.
Let’s say:
- Salary after tax: ₹28,000
- Freelance work (only if paid): ₹3,000
🟰 Real total: ₹31,000
Cool. That’s your number. You’re working with that, not your dream income, just the real one.
💡 Step 2: Where’s It All Going?
Open your bank app, GPay, food apps, texts—whatever helps.
Scroll through and note down everything from the last few weeks.
Stuff that stays the same each month:
- Rent: ₹9,000
- Loan/EMI: ₹2,000
- Internet + phone: ₹1,200
- Subscriptions: ₹500
Stuff that changes:
- Groceries: ₹4,000
- Swiggy/Zomato: ₹2,800 (yeah, it adds up)
- Uber/Auto: ₹1,500
- Random buys: ₹2,200
- Weekend stuff: ₹1,800
👉 Rough total? ₹25K-ish.
So if you earn ₹31K… where’s that extra ₹6K going?
Exactly. It disappears. Fast.
📝 Step 3: Quick Plan (No Spreadsheets)
You don’t need Excel. You don’t need a fancy layout.
Just write it somewhere:
“If I’ve got ₹31K and spend ₹25K… I’ve got ₹6K left.”
Cool. What do you want that ₹6K to do?
Break it like this:
- ₹2,000 → savings
- ₹1,500 → travel fund (Goa, maybe?)
- ₹1,500 → chill/fun stuff
- ₹1,000 → backup (in case life happens)
That’s it. It’s not a rulebook.
It’s just a rough plan, so the money doesn’t vanish.
⏱ Step 4: Check In Once a Week
No pressure. Pick a time—Sunday night works for most people.
Open your notes. Ask:
- What did I spend this week?
- Is delivery creeping up again?
- Can I still go out this weekend?
Overspent on food? Borrow from your fun budget.
Didn’t use your ride budget? Add that to savings.
It’s flexible. Real life isn’t exact.
👀 What You’ll Notice:
- You do have enough—it just leaks out in small ways
- Saving even ₹500 feels like a win
- You stop feeling bad about spending when it’s planned
- Month 1 is messy. Month 2 is smoother. Month 3? You’re in control.
🙌 If You’re Just Starting, Remember:
- Don’t wait till your account’s empty
- Don’t worry about apps—pen and paper work fine
- Don’t aim for “perfect.”
- Just. Start.
Seriously—open your phone, write down what’s coming in, what’s going out, and what’s left. That’s your budget. Not perfect. But it’s yours. And it works.
💬 One Last Thing
Money stress doesn’t come from not having enough.
It usually comes from not knowing what’s happening.
When you budget, even in the chillest way possible, you’ll feel way calmer about it all.
That’s the real win.