Your income changes every month and budgeting advice was written for someone else

You're freelance, your income swings month to month, and budgeting advice clearly wasn't written for you. This builds a zero-based budget anchored to your floor income, the lowest realistic month, allocates every pound across tax reserve, essentials and the rest, and sets up the buffer that smooths the lean months. Budgeting for an unsteady wage.

I am a freelancer with variable monthly income. Over the last 12 months my income ranged from {LOWEST_MONTH} to {HIGHEST_MONTH}, with an average of {AVERAGE_MONTHLY_INCOME}. My fixed essential outgoings are {FIXED_OUTGOINGS}. I set aside {TAX_PERCENTAGE}% for tax and National Insurance. Build a zero-based budget using my floor income (lowest realistic month) as the base. Allocate every pound across: HMRC tax reserve, essential fixed costs, essential variable costs, minimum savings, and a 5% buffer. Then show what to do with any surplus in higher-earning months, in priority order. Include a 'income smoothing' note explaining how to use a separate holding account to pay myself a consistent monthly salary. Pressure-test all totals.