Anyone who gets paid once a month knows how tough it can be to make it from one paycheck to the next and many folks find themselves having more month than they do money. But just between us girlfriends.... there's a better way! You don't have to struggle through it. Let me show you how to manage your monthly pay... and not let it manage you.
When I was hired as a full-time Budget Analyst (yea... budgeting is pretty much my life), I went in not really knowing exactly what the pay frequency would be. I was just so excited and full of energetic, positive energy at the thought of starting my new job!
The Human Resource Specialist went over all my new hire paperwork and then she dropped the bomb…. “Here’s what you’re monthly pay will look like,” she said. (Head tilt)… Wayment… did she say monthly?
Yep. That’s exactly what she said.
After I got over the initial shock, I knew getting paid once a month would be different than what I was used to, which was bi-weekly pay, but I also knew it was not impossible. Budgeting my monthly expenses was just going to take some extra planning out and a little more discipline, because girlfriend… when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade… add a splash of vodka and turn that thang into a party!
The positive side of getting paid monthly is that all your bills can be paid at once (one and done!). You’ll add up all your monthly expenses just like I mentioned in my “How Should I Organize and Separate My Money?” post and set it aside in your Bill Pay Account. Then pay all your bills from that account only.
The more difficult part of getting paid monthly is the left over spending money. This is where that discipline I was talking about earlier kicks in. Let’s say you have $300 left over for spending money (yes, for the month), take that $300 and divide it by 4 (I typically use 4 because there are usually 4 weeks in the month). $300 divided by 4 is $75. So basically $75 is what you have to spend per week on whatever you choose.
Yes, I know you may be thinking, “What the hell am I supposed to do with $75 a week?”
Trust me, you can do a lot. Think about it! If you budgeted your money out correctly… all your bills are already paid, you have food in the house (get those groceries, girl) and you have gas in your car. Anything else you choose to buy or indulge in is essentially unnecessary (we'll talk about needs versus wants in another post).
On the flip side, if you are down to nothing after all your bills are paid then you might want to consider either cutting your expenses, or picking up some odd jobs to earn a little extra money (ain’t nothin’ wrong with a side hustle, hunty).
So if you’re one of my monthly pay girlfriends, try this technique out and give me a shout! I'd love to hear how it works out for you. If you are ready to take your life and money to the next level, schedule a free 30-minute Breakthrough call or join our FREE Facebook group and discover how the GFB Team can help you on your financial freedom journey!
Until Next Time,
Elle
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