15 guides
Irregular income guides
Plain-English guides for budgeting and saving when your income changes month to month. General education, not financial or tax advice.
Plan around uneven pay
Your baseline, the two-account system and a steady paycheck.
- Irregular income: you're not alone
Gig, seasonal, tipped, commission and freelance work.
- Find your baseline month
Plan for the lean month, not the average one.
- The two-account system
A holding account in, a spending account out.
- Pay yourself a salary
The same amount, the same day, every month.
Budget for real life
Bare-bones budgets, due dates and lean months.
- Build a bare-bones budget
The essentials your lowest month must cover.
- Line up bill due dates
Ask to move due dates to just after your paycheck.
- A plan for lean months
Decide now what to cut, so you don't have to decide in a panic.
- Track income as it arrives
A running total beats a monthly surprise.
Save in good months
A buffer, a savings percentage and tips.
- Build a buffer for uneven months
One to two months of your paycheck, in your holding account.
- Save a percentage, not a fixed amount
Percentages flex with your income.
- Tips and cash income
Deposit it, track it, and report it.
Stay protected
Taxes, health and retirement, and when income drops.
- Set aside for taxes as you go
Self-employed and gig income usually has no tax withheld.
- Health insurance and retirement on your own
Benefits a job would provide, set up yourself.
- When income drops suddenly
Act early: call before bills are late.
- Cash advance apps and payday loans
Easy to use, expensive to rely on.