Where does my money go? A 30-minute money map

Goal

Put income, fixed costs, flexible costs, debt and savings on one page.

Step 1: Income

List salary, business income, remittance and other regular sources separately.

Step 2: Three spending groups

• Essentials: food, housing, health, education
• Obligations: debt, bills, tax
• Flexible: entertainment and optional shopping

Step 3: The future

Add separate lines for savings, an emergency fund and longer-term goals.

The first objective is not cutting spending; it is seeing where the money goes.