Survive the slow months
Freelancer Budget Planner
List the income you can realistically count on and your fixed costs, reserve tax and savings up front, and see what is genuinely safe to spend.
Frequently asked questions
My income is different every month. What do I enter?
Enter a conservative, realistic expectation for a typical month — closer to your recent average than your best month ever. The whole point is to plan against income you can reasonably count on, then treat anything above it as a bonus that pads the quiet months.
Why skim tax and savings before working out what is safe to spend?
Because money you have already promised to the tax office or your future self was never really yours to spend. Reserving it first means the "safe to spend" figure is genuinely safe — there is no nasty surprise waiting at quarter-end.
What counts as a fixed cost?
Anything that arrives whether or not you land a client this month: rent or mortgage, insurance, loan repayments, core software subscriptions, phone and internet. Variable, optional spending (eating out, new gear) comes out of the safe-to-spend figure, not here.
It says I am short. What now?
A shortfall on a typical month is useful information, not a verdict. You can trim a recurring cost, lean on the surplus you banked in stronger months, or treat the gap as the exact amount of new work you need to find. Better to see it here than at the end of the month.
These calculators give estimates to help you think — not financial, tax or legal advice. Double-check anything that matters with a professional.