Let me guess.

You’ve tried budgeting. Multiple times. And it never sticks.

You’ve downloaded the apps. Watched the YouTube videos. Read the blog posts about the 50/30/20 rule and the envelope method and “paying yourself first.”

And none of it worked.

So you think you’re the problem. You’re “bad with money.” You “just can’t stick to a budget.”

Wrong.

You’re not the problem. The advice is.

Because traditional budgeting advice was designed for people with paychecks. Steady, predictable, every-two-weeks paychecks.

That’s not you. That’s not me either.

And trying to force an entrepreneur’s life into an employee’s budget is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It doesn’t work. It never will.

Why the “Normal” Budget Advice Falls Entrepreneurs

Here’ what every budget guru tells you:

“Track your spending and stick to your categories!”
Cool. Except my income changes every week. So even if I “stick to my categories,” I might not have enough money to cover them some weeks.

“Save 20% of your income!”
With what money? After I pay my bills, taxes, business expenses, and keep my kids alive, there’s no 20% left. There’s barely 2%.

“Create a monthly budget and follow it!”
My monthly income isn’t consistent. Some months I make $6K. Some months I make $4K. How do I budget for a number I don’t know yet?

Here’s What They’re Missing

Traditional budgeting assumes:
1. You know exactly what’s coming in. (You don’t.)
2. Your income is the same every month. (It’s not.)
3. Your expenses are predictable and fit into neat categories. (They’re not.)
4. You have extra money to save. (You don’t have what they expect you to save.)
5. Willpower is the problem. (It’s not. The system is.)

None of these assumptions fit an entrepreneur’s life.

Especially a single mom entrepreneur. Especially one with no child support. Especially one juggling a business, kids, and trying to keep her head above water.

So yeah, the budget advice doesn’t work. Because it was never designed for you.

What Actually Works for Entrepreneurs

After failing with every “normal” budgeting method, I finally figured out what actually works:

1. Start with your survival number, not your income.
   Don’t budget based on what you made last month. Budget based on what you NEED to make.
   
   Add up everything. Bills, expenses, taxes, debt. That’s your baseline. That’s what you need to earn every single month to survive.
   
   For me it’s $8K. Not $6K. Not “around” $7K. $8K … know your numbers.
   
   Once I knew that number, everything changed. Because I stopped hoping I’d make enough. I started working toward a real target.
2. Track income weekly, not monthly
   Monthly goals are too far away when your income fluctuates.
   
   Break it down. If you need $8K per month, that’s $2K per week (assuming you work 4 weeks).
   
   Now you have a weekly target. Something you can actually track and adjust for in real time.
   
   Some weeks I make $2,500. Some weeks $1,600. But I’m tracking it. I know where I stand every single week, not just at the end of the month when it’s too late to fix it.
3. Plan for inconsistent income
   This is the game-changer.
   
   Use your good weeks to cover your slow weeks.
   
   I don’t spend every dollar I make in a good week. I hold some back because I know slow weeks are coming. They always do.
   
   It’s not “saving”. It’s planning. It’s building a buffer so the slow weeks don’t wreck you.
4. Include taxes in your survival number
   If you’re self-employed and not setting aside for taxes, you’re spending money that isn’t yours.
   
   I include estimated taxes (15-25% depending on your situation) in my survival number. It’s not “extra”. It’s required.
   
   Treat taxes like rent. Non-negotiable.
5. Use “what-if” scenarios to make decisions
   What if you worked one less day per week? What if you raised your prices by $10? What if you added one more client per day?
   
   Run the numbers BEFORE you make the decision.
   
   I built “what-if” scenarios into my budget system so I can see what happens if something changes. It helps me make smarter decisions instead of guessing.
6. Focus on clarity, not perfection
   You don’t need a perfect budget. You need a clear one.
   
   You need to know:
   – What you actually need to make
   – What you’re actually making
   – Where the gap is (if there is one)
   – What needs to change
   
   That’s it. No guilt. No shame. Just truth.
   

The System I Built (Because Nothing Else Worked)

After years of trying and failing with traditional budget advice. I built my own system.

It’s called the Freedom by Design Financial Dashboard. And it’s designed for exactly this: inconsistent income, self-employment, real life.

It shows me:
– My survival numbers (including taxes)
– My weekly and daily income targets
– My actual income vs. my goal
– Profit checks (am I on track or falling behind?)
– What-if scenarios for when life changes

I use it every single day to manage $8K in monthly expenses with four kids, no child support, and inconsistent barber income.

It works because it was built for chaos.

If you’re tired of budget advice that doesn’t fit your life, this is for you: Freedom by Design Financial Dashboard

Or start with the free Reality Check Calculator to see your real survival number: Reality Check Calculator

The Bottom Line

Stop trying to fit into a system that wasn’t designed for you.

Stop blaming yourself for not being able to stick to a budget that assumes you have a paycheck.

You’re not the problem. The advice is.

You just need a system that actually works for the way you life, earn, and survive.

That’s what I built. And it’s here when you’re ready …