Article in English: This is step 1 to any budget. In order to know how much money you can spend, you need to know how much money you make. And that's after taxes, by the way. This will be easiest to do by month, so take a look at your paychecks -- how much did you bring home these past four weeks or so?  If you're an independent contractor or freelancer, make sure you know what you'll be paying come April. This blow that's coming won't hurt so bad if you account for it year-round. If you're a regular employee, don't count on that tax refund. That's gonna be party time if and when it comes. It's nothing sturdy enough to count on right now. This is the standard stuff that's easy to figure out (rent, student loan payments, transportation, etc.) and the not so standard stuff: food, entertainment, utilities, etc. Be sure to be realistic -- if anything, over estimate. Rack your brain for everything you're forgetting -- do you donate to Children's International? Have a $4 latte every other day? Have automatic payments set up for that yoga class you never go to? Be sure to cover your bases! Go through your records for the extras. The main benefit to being a plastic society is that you can log on to a website and literally see where you've spent your money. But that doesn't mean you should forget about your cash flow, too! As you look at this list, find a handful of places where you can reduce those unfortunate little numbers. Can you ditch the landline? Forgo cable for Netflix? Skip that latte? The easiest places to do it will be in the "fluff" -- the money you don't even realize you spend until you spend it. When it comes to technology, don't be afraid to make a fuss. It is possible to call your phone/Internet/TV provider and tell them you can't afford what you're currently paying. You'd be surprised what money a "squeaky wheel" can save. So even if you're looking at your list and saying, "I can't make any more cutbacks! I need these things!" you may be just assuming. Now that you know how much extra money you think you can bank if...

Summary in Vietnamese:
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