Irregular Income? Build a Floor Budget That Always Works

Your income swings and a normal budget assumes it won't. Give it your lowest and average months and this builds a floor budget: essentials covered by the minimum you can count on, then a tiered plan that unlocks more spending as better months land. You stop dreading the lean ones.

My income varies month to month. My lowest income in the past 12 months was {MIN_MONTHLY_INCOME} and my average was {AVERAGE_MONTHLY_INCOME}. Help me design a 'floor budget': a budget built around the minimum income that covers all true essentials, so I am never caught short in a bad month. Include: (1) a ranked list of non-negotiable expenses I must pay first, (2) a tiered spending plan showing what I activate at 80%, 100%, and 120% of average income, (3) a rule for how to handle surplus months (e.g., fill emergency fund first, then pay ahead on bills, then discretionary), and (4) a simple one-page tracker template I can update each month when my income becomes known. My main expense categories are: {EXPENSE_CATEGORIES}.