human
Please help me set up a budget for my monthly expenses.
assistant
Setting up a budget for your monthly expenses is a great way to manage your money. To get started, list all of your fixed expenses, such as rent, utilities, cable, insurance, and loan payments. Write down the amount of money each of these items will cost each month, then add them all up to get your total fixed expenses. Next, make a list of your variable expenses, such as groceries, shopping, and entertainment. Count up how much you typically spend on these items each month, and add this figure to your total fixed expenses. Once you have your total fixed and variable expenses, subtract this amount from your income, and the remaining amount is your discretionary spending.