What is zero-based budgeting? Every dollar of income gets a name before you spend — rent, power, food, fun, savings, debt — until nothing is left unassigned.
Where do you start?
Download 60 days of bank transactions. Tag each line: need, want, or surprise. Christmas, WOF, and school trips are not surprises — they are next month’s line items.
How do you set up month two?
- Fixed costs: mortgage, insurance, subscriptions.
- Weekly envelopes: groceries, petrol, kids’ sport.
- Sinking funds: car repairs, dentist, holidays.
When do Kiwis get paid — and why does it matter?
Most employers pay weekly or fortnightly, not monthly. Match transfers to payday. One app or one spreadsheet — not three systems nobody updates.
How do you make it last?
15 minutes on the last Sunday of each month. Couples share one view of the numbers. Secret accounts are how zero-based budgets fail at home.
