Irregular Income Budget Planner - Pay Yourself a Steady Salary from Uneven Freelance, Gig or Seller Income (Excel & Google Sheets)

Income that goes up and down every month? Freelance, gig work, sales, small business or seasonal work? This planner helps you pay yourself a STEADY salary - even when your income is uneven.

THE IDEA

All your income goes into one "holding account" (your buffer). Every month you pay yourself the same salary from it. Good months fill the buffer, slow months use it - no more feast and famine.

WHAT IT DOES

• Suggests a SAFE SALARY based on your real income (after tax)

• Shows your average, worst and best month

• Tax set-aside from every payment, worked out automatically

• Buffer balance month by month - and how many months of salary you have saved

• Flags SHORT MONTHS and "Buffer low" before they become a problem

• Bare Minimum page: your must-pay bills = your survival number

• Chart: uneven income in vs steady salary out

WHAT'S INCLUDED (2 files)

• Irregular_Income_Budget_Planner_EXAMPLE.xlsx - filled with a sample year so you can see how it works

• Irregular_Income_Budget_Planner.xlsx - blank, ready for your own numbers

TABS

• How To Use - the idea explained in plain words

• Dashboard - average income, worst / best month, safe salary, buffer, goal progress + what it means

• Settings - start month, tax set-aside %, your salary, buffer goal, starting buffer

• Bare Minimum - your must-pay bills each month

• Income - 500 rows: every payment you receive

• Expenses - 1,000 rows with categories

• Monthly Plan - income, tax, salary paid, buffer at end, spending, status + chart

UNDATED: choose any start month and reuse it every year.

WORKS IN: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets (File > Import) and Apple Numbers.

PLEASE NOTE

• This is a digital download - nothing will be shipped.

• Example numbers are samples only. The tax set-aside and safe salary are simple planning estimates, not tax or financial advice.

• Personal use only. Please do not resell or share the files.

Images made by me from the real spreadsheet; some design help from AI tools.