Dave Ramsey Budget Forms that are a Lifeline When You're Struggling to Stay Afloat (2024)

By Jaime Published in Budgeting Last Updated on

Dave Ramsey budget forms – When you’re overwhelmed with debt, it’s hard to know where to turn or how to find resources that will help you the most.

Maybe you’ve heard Dave Ramsey talk about money on the radio, listened to his podcast, or even read one of his books. But how can you find all the right Dave Ramsey budget forms for getting started? There are so many great forms to choose from!

Dave Ramsey Budget Forms that are a Lifeline When You're Struggling to Stay Afloat (1)

Below you’ll find a short list of free Dave Ramsey budget forms that will be the most helpful to you as you’re getting started. I tried to keep this list simple, with the basic budget forms you might need to get started. If you want more options, click here for my longer list with tons of pretty Dave Ramsey printables.

Be sure to read our debt free story: We’re Debt Free! Our Story Of How We Paid Off Our House

Now, without further ado… here are some of the most important forms to get you started.

UPDATE MAY 2019: I have a new post up with 21 more “inspired by” Dave Ramsey budgeting printables.

Dave Ramsey Budget Forms

Monthly Cash Flow Budget Form

Use this Monthly Cash Flow form to organize everything you need to pay and your debt minimum payments. Next to everything write the due date.

Spending Plan Budget Form

Then, use this Spending Plan form to create your budget. You need a column PER PAYDAY which will change every month. If you’re paid weekly or bi-weekly, some months will have more than four pay columns.

Like Dave says, you’ve got to tell your money what to do or it will leave. Be diligent about using these budgeting forms, and know where your money is going — every penny of it!

Variable Income Budget Form

If you get paid a variable income rather than a set amount each payday, it can be somewhat confusing to get started. Dave has this Irregular Incomeform to help you plan for each income source.

As you’re setting up your budget, you may findthat you need to call certain utilities, creditors, or other billing companies and request tochange billing cycles. Usually there’s no problem when you try to tweak your “due by” dates, within reason. Don’t be intimidated! Many companies are happy to help if they feel it will help them receive your payments in a timely manner.

Dave Ramsey Budget Forms that are a Lifeline When You're Struggling to Stay Afloat (2)

List of Useful Dave Ramsey Forms

Dave also has an area on his site that lists many of his available budget forms (on the Useful Forms page). It includes the monthly cash flow sheet, consumer equity sheet, lump sum payment planning, and more. They are all printable budget forms. Bookmark the page — it’s nice to keep it handy!

But What If You Can’t Pay Your Bills?

If you’re pretty far behind with your bills and can’t seemto get current, here are helpful tips from Dave about what to do when you can’t pay your bills.

Our Budget Toolkit Printables

I also designed a beautiful Budget Binder Toolkit that has really helpful budgeting forms, plus all the printables are easy to use. It’s easy to print them, fill them out, and put them in a three pronged binder. Everything you need is there in one easy PDF file. There’s even a “spending journal” printable! You can learn more about the Budget Binder Toolkit here.

You can do this! One step at a time, my friend. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you’ll get there. It’s worth it!

Before you go, take a minute and tell us about some Dave Ramsey Budget Forms that have been helpful to you. We’d love to know.

You might also like:

  • The Best Dave Ramsey YouTube Videos
  • 13 Things Dave Ramsey Fans Wish You Knew
  • Our Dave Ramsey Meal Plan For A Beans + Rice Budget
  • The 7 Dave Ramsey Baby Steps To Financial Freedom

Go in grace today,

Dave Ramsey Budget Forms that are a Lifeline When You're Struggling to Stay Afloat (4)

P.S. New to my web site? I like to write about ways to optimize your life, save money, and cook cheap meals at home! Here are a few moreways you can save money:

  • Cook at home more often.We used to waste so much money going out to eat! This is a constant struggle for us as a busy family. Try a program likeemeals (the link takes to you a free 14-day trial) to help you create simple, inexpensive meals at home if you struggle in this area like I do. You’ll save MORE money on your groceries each month than the small amount you pay for their service.
  • Earn Amazon gift cards.A simple way to earn a little extra money from home by using the Swagbucks site instead of Google for searching. You can also do surveys and a few other things to earn points, which you redeem to purchase gift cards from them.Swagbucksis what we used toearn Amazon gift cardsand pay for Christmas gifts one year. (Click here to read about how we did it.)
  • Create a budget.Mvelopes is the online budgeting program we personally use and LOVE. In fact, we purchased a lifetime membership several years ago when they offered it to us. It’s like a virtual cash envelope system, and it syncs with your bank accounts.Here’s my full Mvelopes review,or you canclick here for a free 30 day trial of Mvelopes.

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Dave Ramsey Budget Forms that are a Lifeline When You're Struggling to Stay Afloat (2024)

FAQs

What is the Ramsey budgeting method? ›

HOW TO MAKE A BUDGET:
  1. Write down your total income for the upcoming. month. — This is your take-home (after tax) pay for both you. ...
  2. List ALL of your expenses. — This includes regular expenses (rent or mortgage, electricity, etc.) ...
  3. Subtract your expenses from your income. This. ...
  4. Track your spending throughout the month.
Nov 24, 2023

What is the 50/20/30 budget rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the 50 30 20 rule for 401k? ›

Key Takeaways

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).

What is the Ramsey method? ›

The Snowball Method refers to paying the smallest debt first, then the next smallest – and on and on until you are living debt free. Ramsey suggests lining up debts “by balance, smallest to largest,” then paying as much of the smallest debt as possible while making minimum payments on the rest.

What is the simplest budgeting method ever? ›

1. The zero-based budget. The concept of a zero-based budgeting method is simple: Income minus expenses equals zero. This budgeting method is best for people who have a set income each month or can reasonably estimate their monthly income.

What is the #1 rule of budgeting? ›

The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. Learn more about the 50/30/20 budget rule and if it's right for you.

Is the 30 rule outdated? ›

The 30% Rule Is Outdated

To start, averages, by definition, do not take into account the huge variations in what individuals do. Second, the financial obligations of today are vastly different than they were when the 30% rule was created.

How much should I budget for a 60k salary? ›

On a $60,000 salary, which roughly translates to $50,000 after taxes (depending on your location and tax rates), 60% would be about $30,000 per year, or $2,500 per month. Savings (20%): This portion should be allocated towards your savings, investments, emergency funds, or debt repayment.

What is the 80 budget rule? ›

The rule requires that you divide after-tax income into two categories: savings and everything else. As long as 20% of your income is used to pay yourself first, you're free to spend the remaining 80% on needs and wants. That's it; no expense categories, no tracking your individual dollars.

What's the average 401k by age? ›

Average and median 401(k) balances by age
Age rangeAverage balanceMedian balance
25-34$30,017$11,357
35-44$76,354$28,318
45-54$142,069$48,301
55-64$207,874$71,168
2 more rows
Mar 13, 2024

How much is the average savings by age? ›

The average savings for individuals under 35 is $11,200. Individuals between the ages of 35 and 44 have an average savings of $27,900. Those aged 45 to 54 have an average savings of $48,200. The average savings for individuals between 55 and 64 is $57,800.

What is the 25x rule for retirement? ›

The 25x rule entails saving 25 times an investor's planned annual expenses for retirement. Originating from the 4% rule, the 25x rule simplifies retirement planning by focusing on portfolio size.

What is Dave Ramsey's 7 steps? ›

Step 1: Save $1,000 for your starter emergency fund. Step 2: Pay off all debt (except the house) using the debt snowball. Step 3: Save 3–6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund. Step 4: Invest 15% of your household income in retirement.

How to survive a recession Dave Ramsey? ›

Here are seven steps to help you prepare for a recession:
  1. Don't panic. ...
  2. Take a look at your finances. ...
  3. Get on a budget. ...
  4. Build up your emergency fund. ...
  5. Leave your investments alone. ...
  6. Pay down your debt. ...
  7. Reevaluate your job situation.
Apr 5, 2024

What is the rule of 72 Ramsey? ›

Divide 72 by the interest rate on the investment you're looking at. The number you get is the number of years it will take until your investment doubles itself.

What is the Dave Ramsey budget percentage rule? ›

Dave Ramsey Budget Percentages. Giving (10%), Saving (10%), Food (10% - 15%), Utilities (5% - 10%), Housing (25%), Transportation (10%)...

What is the average household income Dave Ramsey? ›

“Good income is not a moral statement,” Ramsey explained. “Good income is relative to the average household income in America, which is $78,000 right now.” Real median household income in the U.S. was $78,250 in 2019 and fell to $74,580 in 2022, according to the Census Bureau. "You're not a bad person.

What should your monthly budget include Dave Ramsey? ›

11 Budget Categories for Each Month
  • Giving. I always start my family's budget with giving (10% of our income). ...
  • Saving (or Debt Payoff) Emergency Fund. ...
  • Food. Groceries. ...
  • Utilities. In this monthly budget category, include all the services that keep your house running: ...
  • Shelter/Housing. ...
  • Transportation. ...
  • Insurance. ...
  • Household Items.
Sep 29, 2023

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