Practical examples of zero-based budgeting template examples you can actually use

Real examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for everyday life

Let’s skip the theory and go straight into how this looks in real life. When people search for examples of zero-based budgeting template examples, they usually want something they can copy and adapt quickly. So we’ll start with a simple monthly household layout and build from there.

1. Simple monthly household zero-based budget template (beginner-friendly example)

Imagine a household with take-home pay of $4,000 per month. A basic example of a zero-based budgeting template might be organized into four main sections:

• Income (all take-home pay and regular side income)
• Fixed expenses (rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance)
• Variable expenses (groceries, gas, eating out, personal spending)
• Savings, debt payments, and goals (emergency fund, extra loan payments, sinking funds)

A simple layout in a spreadsheet could look like this in words:

• Income: Salary 1, Salary 2, Side hustle
• Fixed: Rent, Electricity, Internet, Phone, Car payment, Insurance
• Variable: Groceries, Gas, Eating out, Household, Personal, Kids
• Goals: Emergency fund, Extra debt payment, Vacation sinking fund

You list your \(4,000 income at the top, then assign dollars to each line until the remaining balance is exactly \)0. That “zero” doesn’t mean you’re broke; it means every dollar has a planned job.

This is one of the best examples of a zero-based budgeting template for beginners because it’s simple, predictable, and works well for salaried workers.

2. Zero-based budget template example for irregular income

Freelancers, gig workers, and commission-based employees often feel like traditional budgets don’t fit them. Here’s where another example of a template comes in handy.

With irregular income, your zero-based budgeting template usually starts with a conservative income estimate based on your lowest typical month, not your best month. Then you:

• Prioritize expenses in order: housing, utilities, food, transportation, minimum debt payments, then everything else.
• Build “tiers” in your template: Tier 1 (needs), Tier 2 (wants), Tier 3 (extra debt/savings).

A practical layout might have:

• Income: Projected base income, Extra gigs, Bonus/commission
• Tier 1: Rent, utilities, groceries, gas, minimum debt payments
• Tier 2: Streaming, eating out, subscriptions, entertainment
• Tier 3: Extra debt payment, extra savings, investments

As money comes in, you fill the template from top to bottom until you reach zero. This is one of the most realistic examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for people whose paychecks fluctuate.

For guidance on managing variable income and emergency savings, resources from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov offer practical worksheets and tools.

3. Debt payoff–focused zero-based budgeting template example

If your main goal is to attack debt, your template will look a little different. In this example of a zero-based budgeting template, you still cover needs first, but you carve out a specific line for extra principal payments.

A typical layout:

• Income: Net pay, side hustle
• Needs: Housing, utilities, food, transportation, minimum payments on all debts
• Wants: Entertainment, dining, subscriptions
• Goals: Emergency fund, Extra payment to Target Debt, Retirement contribution

Suppose you have \(3,200 take-home income, and after needs and modest wants, you have \)400 left. In a zero-based template, that $400 isn’t “extra” or “miscellaneous.” It becomes a line item labeled “Extra payment to credit card” or “Extra payment to student loan.”

This is one of the best examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for people following debt strategies like the debt snowball or debt avalanche, approaches often discussed in personal finance research and education, including materials from the Federal Reserve’s education resources at federalreserveeducation.org.

4. Sinking-fund zero-based budget template example (for big, irregular expenses)

Another powerful example of a zero-based budgeting template includes sinking funds for costs that don’t hit every month but always seem to surprise you: car repairs, holidays, annual insurance premiums, property taxes, or back-to-school shopping.

In this template, you add a section like:

• Sinking funds: Car repairs, Christmas, Vacations, Medical/dental, Home maintenance

Let’s say you expect to spend \(1,200 on holiday gifts this year. Spread across 12 months, that’s \)100 per month. Your zero-based template includes a \(100 line labeled “Christmas sinking fund.” You transfer that \)100 into a separate savings account every month, and your budget still ends at zero.

Real examples of this kind of template help people avoid relying on high-interest credit cards for predictable but irregular expenses. The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) at nefe.org offers educational content on planning ahead for these kinds of costs.

Digital vs. spreadsheet examples of zero-based budgeting template examples

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are many examples of zero-based budgeting template examples built into popular tools and spreadsheets.

5. Spreadsheet-based zero-based budget example

A classic approach is a simple spreadsheet in Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice. A common example of a layout might include:

• Columns for: Category, Planned amount, Actual amount, Difference, Notes
• Sections for: Income, Fixed expenses, Variable expenses, Savings & debt, Sinking funds

You enter your income at the top, then every planned expense. At the bottom, a formula checks:

Total income – Total expenses = 0

If the result isn’t zero, you adjust your planned amounts until it is. This is one of the best examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for people who like full control and transparency.

Many universities and extension programs share free budget spreadsheet templates. For instance, land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension Services often link to budgeting tools from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) at nifa.usda.gov, which can be adapted into a zero-based style.

6. App-style zero-based budget template example

Some budgeting apps are built around zero-based principles. While each app has its own interface, their templates usually:

• Start by asking for your monthly income or current account balances.
• Offer pre-filled categories (housing, food, transportation, debt, savings).
• Encourage you to “assign” every dollar to a category until nothing is left unassigned.

These digital templates are real examples of zero-based budgeting template examples in action: they nudge you to give every dollar a purpose and adjust quickly when something changes mid-month.

Business-focused examples of zero-based budgeting template examples

Zero-based budgeting isn’t just for households. Companies use it to justify every expense each period instead of copying last year’s budget and adding a percentage.

7. Small business zero-based budget template example

Picture a small marketing agency with annual revenue of \(500,000. Instead of saying, “We spent \)50,000 on software last year; let’s add 5%,” a zero-based template forces each department to start at zero and justify every line.

A simple business template might include:

• Income: Client retainers, project fees, consulting
• Direct costs: Contractor payments, advertising spend, software licenses tied to client work
• Overhead: Rent, utilities, general software, insurance, admin salaries
• Investments: Training, new equipment, marketing experiments, product development

Each manager fills in their planned expenses, but only if they can explain how that cost supports current goals. This is one of the best examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for small businesses trying to cut waste and redirect money toward growth.

The concept of zero-based budgeting in organizations is discussed in management and accounting courses at universities such as Harvard Business School; you can explore related budgeting and financial planning content through Harvard Business School Online.

8. Nonprofit or grant-funded zero-based budget template example

Nonprofits and grant-funded programs often need to show funders exactly how money will be used. A zero-based template helps them align every dollar with mission-driven activities.

A nonprofit template might look like:

• Income: Grants, donations, membership fees, program fees
• Program expenses: Staff working directly on programs, supplies, travel for service delivery
• Administrative: Office rent, utilities, accounting, HR
• Fundraising: Events, marketing, donor management software

For each new grant cycle, the organization starts at zero and builds the budget based on planned activities, not last year’s habits. This is a real example of a zero-based budgeting template that builds transparency and trust with stakeholders.

2024–2025 trends shaping zero-based budgeting templates

The way people use zero-based budgets has shifted in the last few years, especially with inflation, rising housing costs, and more people working remotely or freelancing.

Some 2024–2025 trends influencing examples of zero-based budgeting template examples:

• Higher priority for emergency funds. After the financial shocks of recent years, more templates now put emergency savings near the top, right after housing and food. Agencies like the CFPB recommend building at least a starter emergency fund to reduce reliance on high-interest debt.
• Mental health and wellness categories. Many people now include therapy, gym memberships, or wellness apps as their own line items instead of squeezing them into “miscellaneous.” While medical advice comes from health experts like the National Institutes of Health at nih.gov, financial planners increasingly recognize that money stress and health are linked.
• Side hustles built into templates. It’s more common to see separate income and expense sections for side businesses or gig work inside personal budgets.
• Digital-first planning. More templates are built for mobile screens and cloud tools, so you’ll see shorter category lists, color coding, and quick-adjust features in many modern examples.

These trends show up in current real examples of zero-based budgeting template examples shared by financial educators, non-profit organizations, and personal finance communities.

How to choose the best examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for you

With so many formats floating around, how do you pick one that fits your life?

Think about:

• Your income style. Salaried workers often do well with a straightforward monthly template. Freelancers might prefer an irregular-income version that prioritizes expenses in tiers.
• Your main goal. If you’re focused on debt payoff, choose a template that highlights extra payments. If you’re saving for big purchases, look for strong sinking-fund sections.
• Your comfort with tools. If you love spreadsheets, use a flexible sheet you can customize. If you hate spreadsheets, an app-based template might be easier.
• Your stage of life. Students, parents with childcare costs, and retirees all need different category structures.

The best examples of zero-based budgeting template examples are the ones you’ll actually stick with. A “perfect” template that you abandon after a week is less helpful than a simple one you’re willing to update every month.

FAQ: examples of zero-based budgeting template examples

What is an example of a zero-based budgeting template for beginners?
A beginner-friendly example is a monthly template that lists income at the top, then separates expenses into fixed (rent, utilities, insurance), variable (groceries, gas, eating out), and goals (savings, debt payoff). You assign every dollar of income to one of those lines until your remaining balance is zero.

What are some real examples of zero-based budgeting template examples I can copy?
Real examples include a simple household spreadsheet, an irregular-income template with tiered priorities, a debt payoff–focused layout, a sinking-fund template for big irregular expenses, a small business zero-based plan, and a nonprofit or grant-based template where every expense is justified from scratch each period.

Can you give an example of using zero-based budgeting with irregular income?
Yes. Start with your lowest expected monthly income as a baseline. In your template, list housing, utilities, food, transportation, and minimum debt payments first. Then add wants and extra savings below. As money comes in, you “fund” each line from top to bottom until you reach zero. If income is higher than expected, you direct the extra toward savings or debt; if it’s lower, you cut from the lower-priority lines.

What are the best examples of zero-based budgeting template examples for paying off debt?
Look for templates that highlight a separate line for “extra debt payment” in the goals section. They usually cover needs and minimum payments first, then direct all leftover money to one targeted debt (snowball) or the highest-interest debt (avalanche). The structure makes it very clear how much extra you’re sending to debt each month.

Are there free examples of zero-based budgeting templates from trustworthy sources?
Yes. While not all are labeled “zero-based,” many free budget worksheets from organizations like the CFPB, Cooperative Extension programs, and university financial education centers can be adapted into zero-based templates by making sure total income minus total expenses equals zero. You can start with a general worksheet and modify it so that every dollar is assigned to a category.

If you pick one or two of these examples of zero-based budgeting template examples and try them for the next month, you’ll learn more about your money than you might expect. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s clarity. Once you can see where every dollar goes, you’re in a much stronger position to change your financial story on purpose instead of by accident.