Work out your budget

This advice applies to England. See advice for See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland, See advice for Wales

Important

You should immediately contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you've received court papers, are facing eviction or are expecting bailiffs.

Use a budget planner tool to help you understand:

  • what you’re earning and spending

  • where you might be able to cut costs

Before you start

The planner will be most useful if you give accurate figures. You can use rough figures if you just want a general idea of your budget.

Try to find your most recent:

  • bank statements

  • payslips

  • debit and credit card statements or bills

  • receipts for things you usually pay for in cash

Make sure you include all your expenses, for example money you spend on your partner or family.

Use the budget planner

You can use the free budget planner on the MoneyHelper website.

Help us improve our website

Take 3 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. Your feedback will help us give millions of people the information they need.