Monthly Budget Review: Variance Report and Next Steps

The month's done and you want to know how it really went. Give it budgeted versus actual by category and this builds a variance report: where you went over and under in pounds and percent, your net position, and what to change next month. A proper month-end review, not a guilty glance.

I have just closed out the month of {MONTH_YEAR}. Here are my budgeted vs actual figures for each category: {BUDGET_VS_ACTUAL_TABLE}. My total income this month was {ACTUAL_INCOME} versus a budgeted {BUDGETED_INCOME}. Act as my personal finance advisor. Produce a monthly budget review with: (1) a variance summary table showing over/under for each category in dollar and percentage terms, (2) a net budget position: did I finish the month with a surplus or deficit and by how much, (3) a root-cause commentary on the top three variances, (4) carry-forward adjustments I should make to next month's budget, and (5) a health score out of 10 for this month's budget performance with a one-paragraph narrative explaining the score. Be direct and specific; avoid vague advice.