How to budget weekly in five steps

1. 1. Find your weekly number

   Monthly income minus fixed costs and savings, divided by 4.3. Round it down — a limit you beat is more motivating than one you miss.

2. 2. Choose three to six categories

   Groceries, eating out, transport, fun, household. Few enough that logging stays effortless.

3. 3. Log expenses the day they happen

   Ten seconds at the till. The number on your screen has to be true or you'll stop trusting it.

4. 4. Check the remaining balance mid-week

   Wednesday is the useful checkpoint: still time to move a restaurant meal to next week.

5. 5. Review Sunday, reset Monday

   Look at the week's categories, note the one surprise, then start fresh. Nothing carries over.

Common mistakes

• Setting the limit from what you wish you spent rather than what you do spend.
• Mixing rent and bills into the weekly number so it never adds up.
• Ten categories you abandon after a fortnight.
• Carrying overspend forward until the budget feels like a debt.

Questions people ask

How much should I budget per week?

Take your monthly income, subtract rent, bills, loans and savings, then divide what's left by 4.3. That is your weekly spending money.

Should my week start on Monday?

Monday works for most people because the weekend — usually the expensive part — sits at the end of the week, where you can still adjust.

What if I overspend one week?

Let the new week start clean. Only change the limit itself if you overshoot three weeks in a row, which means the number was wrong, not your behaviour.

Do big bills go in the weekly budget?

No. Rent, insurance and subscriptions are handled monthly. The weekly budget covers day-to-day spending only.