Hardship budget worksheet
Every credit counseling session starts with this arithmetic. Doing it first tells you whether your problem is spending, income, or interest, which decides which kind of help is worth paying for.
Essentials
Flexible spending
Debt payments
$4,000Income
$3,810Spending
$190Monthly surplus
| Category | Amount | Share of income | 50/30/20 guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $2,620 | 66% | 50% |
| Flexible spending | $515 | 13% | 30% |
| Debt payments and saving | $675 | 17% | 20% |
You have $190 a month above your current payments. Put it against one debt at a time rather than spreading it around, and keep a small emergency buffer so a surprise does not go back onto a card.
Nothing here is stored or sent anywhere. The 50/30/20 split is a rough guide, not a rule, and high-cost housing markets push the essentials share well above 50 percent for most households.