The Budgeting Rules I Actually Stick To (And the Ones I Don’t)

There are a lot of budgeting rules out there. All you need to do is scroll on TikTok or Instagram and you’ll find endless advice- some helpful, some overwhelming, and some that seem to only be relevant to a small proportion of the population.

When I was in my late teens when I had little to no responsibility I didn’t care about budgeting rules. I didn’t have a financial education and just wanted to enjoy myself. But in my early 20’s I wanted to get my own place, and I knew things needed to change. And thanks to change, I was lucky enough to be able to buy a shared ownership property at 22.

Working out the budgeting rules that actually worked for me did take some trial and error. But here are some of the rules I still follow now.

The budgeting rules I do stick to

Track your spending (even loosely)

I don’t write down every penny, but I do keep a running tab on where my money’s going each month. Knowing where my outgoings are helps me avoid surprise and keep impulse spending in check. I use Monzo categories feature to help at a glance, but because I budget I always have a pretty good idea where money is going.

Give every pound a job

This one comes from zero-based budgeting — and it works wonders. It follows on from the budgeting rule above about knowing where my money goes, but I don’t hope there’s ‘left over’ money. I give every bit of money a role, whether that’s in my bills account, going into a sinking fund, or topping up my book or eating out pot.

Set money aside in sinking funds

I used to get caught out by things like car MOTs, annual subscriptions, or birthday gifts. I’d then have a few poorer months as I’d had to shell out.

Now I have sinking funds for everything like this so I can save small amounts each month to cover the expenses when they pop up.

Budget for fun

If I don’t budget for little joys (like a takeaway, tattoo or a new book), I’d feel restricted or overspend and mess up the rest of the plan. Budgeting is about balance — and that includes room for fun without guilt.

For example from my weekly ‘spending money’ I put money straight into a Waterstones pre-order pot so I don’t feel guilty when I pre-order pretty books. I also put money into a tattoo fund so when I want to book in I can.

The budgeting rules I don’t stick to

No-spend days

I’ve tried no-spend days, but they just don’t work for me. I found myself moving spending around rather than reducing it — which kind of defeats the purpose. Instead, I focus on intentional spending rather than tracking which days I swipe my card.

Cut out all non-essentials during saving goals

While I admire the discipline, I’ve never stuck to a ‘no treats while saving’ mentality. As I mentioned when talking about budgeting for ‘fun’, if I cut out all non-essentials I’d end up resenting my budget. For me sustainable budgeting is much better than extreme budgeting, even if it takes a little bit longer.

Keeping finances separate as a couple

Every couple has a different way of managing their money, and there’s no right and wrong way of doing it. But we don’t find keeping things separate works for us. All of our income is pooled in together regardless as to whether I earn 50% of that months income or 65%. Yes we each have our own weekly spending money to do with what we want, but everything’s an equal split.

Making your own budgeting rules

Budgeting is deeply personal — what works for one person might feel impossible for another. The trick is finding your balance: rules that help you feel in control, without making you feel restricted or burnt out.

I still tweak my approach every few months as life changes. The most important part? Giving yourself permission to drop the ‘rules’ that don’t serve you and build a money plan that does.

Do you follow any budgeting rules?