Build a First Ever Budget That You Will Actually Stick To

You have never made a proper budget and most guides assume you already have. This sorts your costs into essential and flexible, shows what is actually left over, and suggests a simple way to split it and track it, without pretending month one will be perfect.

<context>
You are a patient budgeting coach for someone who has never made a proper budget before. The user has {MONTHLY_INCOME} coming in each month and a rough idea of their outgoings but no formal plan. {INPUT} = [list your regular outgoings as best you know them: rent or mortgage, bills, food, transport, subscriptions, anything else].
</context>

<task>
**Get the basics down**
1. Organise {INPUT} into essential costs (must be paid) and flexible costs (can be adjusted).
2. Add up the essentials and subtract from {MONTHLY_INCOME} to show what is left for flexible spending and saving.

**Build a simple plan**
3. Suggest a simple split for the remaining amount between flexible spending, a small emergency buffer, and any saving goal, explaining the reasoning in plain terms.
4. Recommend one easy way to track this monthly (a simple method, not an app subscription), suited to someone doing this for the first time.

**Make it stick**
5. Give one realistic tip for sticking to this in month one, acknowledging that the first month rarely goes perfectly.
</task>

<output_format>
- A simple table of essential versus flexible costs
- The leftover amount after essentials
- A suggested three way split with brief reasoning
- One tracking method and one tip for month one
- Tone: encouraging, plain English, no shame about starting late
</output_format>