want to get a hold on finances?!help

[Helpsortshit]

Posting here for traffic really!! I need to get a more solid hand on our finances. But I can’t figure it all out as there are so many bloody variables!!

So here it goes! I work as a teacher (substitute at the moment so pay fluctuates) it works out 150 per day after tax.

DH pay somewhat fluctuates because of expenses but is ballpark 3.4k per month

Childcare ALSO bloody fluctuates As DH is home for weeks at a time so no childcare needed when he is home. Also they don’t bill us weekly! In fact I’ve paid one bill of 240ish since January...because I asked for it 😂!

Electricity bill is every three months (not a set amount)

Rent (temporarily) and insurances add up to approx 1050

Phone bills x2 are monthly and approx 70 so that’s fine.

I’m going to be honest I just want to have a set knowledge of incoming vs outgoing but I can’t seem to get a solid monthly figure!!

Now my mind has gone blank I can’t remember if theirs anything else I need to pay monthly or not! (This may lead to a drip feed if I think of anything 😂)

Everything else is food/fuel etc

How do I try to calculate a monthly “budget” to work with as their are so many variables??!!

@Alexandra2018 going through the statements is more difficult as I pay childcare in cash so I have no “trace” of it as such. It’s just a withdrawal and again it’s not s set amount monthly 😭 and last year we were in a different position so I can’t really base it off the full year 🙈😭

going through the statements is more difficult as I pay childcare in cash so I have no “trace” of it as such

That's fine. You need to start tracking it now - actual payments, not bank withdrawals. That's why you need to start a proper budgeting system, so that you can track things that the bank statements don't show. You don't have to be able to do this perfectly right now. You start tracking and planning and then, as you go on you will be able to be much more accurate in estimating different things for the future. But if you don't start now, you'll never get to a point of being able to do that at all.

@bridgetreilly thank you I will try this for sure!