May 2026 - Cash Radar

7 Simple Tips on How to Start a Budget:

📝 Write down your take-home income for the month.
💡 🧾 List your must-pay bills first (rent, utilities, groceries, debt minimums).
✅ 🎯 Set simple spending limits for each category and cap your total at your income.
📌 💳 Choose one easy system—envelopes, separate accounts, or a free app—and stick to it.
💸 📱 Track every purchase the same day with a note or your phone.
📝 🔁 Check your budget once a week, move money if needed, and aim for a small buffer.
🔍 🎉 Pay yourself first by saving a small amount (even $10) every payday.

👉 Start small, stick with it for one week, and your budget will start working for you.

Your paycheck shows more than what you take home. Here’s how to read your pay stub so you know where every dollar goes.

💡 🧾 Check your name, address, and the pay period to confirm the stub is yours.
✅ ⏱️ Find your hours and rate (or salary) and confirm the gross pay before deductions.
💸 Review federal, state, and local taxes to see how much was withheld.
📌 🛡️ Check pre-tax deductions like retirement, health savings, or insurance that lower taxable pay.
💸 📆 Review year-to-date (YTD) totals to track your earnings, taxes, and deductions for the year.
✅ Confirm net pay matches your bank deposit or check amount.
📝 🗣️ If anything looks wrong, note it and ask HR or payroll to fix it.

👉 A quick 60-second review of each pay stub protects your money and catches mistakes early.