The 7 Steps Budgeting Workbook, now interactive
How to make a budget and manage your money in 7 steps
Nobody is born knowing how to manage money. It’s a skill, and skills can be learned. Our free interactive workbook shows you how to create a budget one short step at a time, so you finish with a budget plan that fits your real life.
How it works
A budgeting workbook that does the math for you
These are the same seven steps to creating a budget that our educators have taught for years in the 7 Steps Budgeting Workbook. Now each step comes with a lesson you can read or listen to, and short activities that save as you go.
Learn one idea at a time
Each step opens with a short lesson from our workbook. Read it on the page, open it full screen, or press Listen and have it read to you.
Try it with your own numbers
Every lesson is followed by two or three short activities that tell you what to do and why it matters. The math is done for you, and our free apps are a click away when you want to go deeper.
Finish with a budget plan you can print
Your answers build a one page budget plan called My Money Plan. Print it, save it as a PDF, or bring it to a free appointment with a credit counsellor.
What you'll walk away with
A personal budget plan built around your life
A budget only lasts if it's built on what matters to you and on your real numbers. By the end of the seven steps, you'll have a monthly budget plan with:
- A goal with a number and a date, broken down into an amount per payday.
- A plan for the bills that sneak up on you, like car repairs, school fees, and gifts.
- A starter emergency fund target so a surprise doesn't have to go on a credit card.
- A paycheque plan with three buckets, so every dollar has a job the day it arrives.
My Money Plan
Sample plan, paid every two weeks
Prefer Paper, Video, or the Short Version?
Everyone learns to budget differently. The same step by step budgeting lessons are available in three more formats, all free.
The Printable Budget Workbook
The classic 7 Steps Budgeting Workbook, with budget worksheets you fill in by hand. It has been used by hundreds of thousands of people.
The Budgeting 101 Workshop
Watch one of our Financial Education Specialists walk through budgeting step by step in a free 24 minute online workshop. A full transcript is included.
The Quick Budgeting Guide
Short on time? Our six step guide to making a household budget covers the essentials on a single page. It also includes links to our best budgeting tools.
Straight answers
Questions people ask about making a budget
How do I make a budget if I've never had one?
Start simple. Write down the income you receive each month, write down your expenses, and subtract one from the other. That's a budget in its simplest form. The seven steps on this page then help you make it realistic. You'll set a goal, track your spending, plan for irregular expenses and emergencies, build savings, and give every paycheque a plan.
How long does it take?
Most steps take 10 to 15 minutes, including the lesson. All seven take about an hour and a half, and you don't need to do them in one sitting. Step 3 asks you to track your spending for two weeks. You can keep working through the other steps while you track, then come back and update your numbers.
Can I listen instead of reading?
Yes. Every lesson has a Listen button that reads it to you, so you can follow along or simply sit back. You can pause, pick up where you left off, and change the reading speed.
Do I have to do the steps in order?
No. The order works well if you're creating a budget from scratch, but you can jump to any step that feels useful today. You don't have to do everything at once. Picking one or two steps that feel manageable is a great start.
Is what I enter private?
Yes. Your answers are saved in your browser, on this device only. There's no account, and we never see what you enter. If you clear your browser data or switch devices, the path starts fresh, so it's a good idea to print your plan or save it as a PDF once you have one.
Do you have a budget template or spreadsheet?
Yes. If you'd rather build your budget in a spreadsheet, our free budget calculator spreadsheet works in Excel, Google Sheets, and other spreadsheet programs. You'll find it, along with our online Budget Calculator, under 3 ways to build your budget.
What's the difference between a budget and a spending plan?
They're the same thing. "Spending plan" is simply a friendlier way to say it. A budget is a written plan that tells your money where to go based on your priorities. It's a living guide that changes when your life does, not a rigid rule book.
What if my income changes from month to month?
Budgeting still works. Build your monthly budget around a cautious estimate of your income, such as your lowest realistic month, and cover your essential expenses first. When more money comes in, use it to top up your savings and goals. A credit counsellor can help you set this up for free.
I have debt. Should I pay it off before I start budgeting?
Do both at the same time. A budget shows how much you can put toward your debts each month without shorting your essentials. If your debt feels unmanageable, a free conversation with one of our counsellors can help you build a realistic plan that covers both.
Is this the same as the 7 Steps Budgeting Workbook?
Yes. It follows the same seven steps as our workbook and covers the same ground as our Budgeting 101 workshop, with calculators built in and links to our free apps where they help. If you like working on paper, the workbook is still available as a PDF download.
Can someone help me build my budget?
Yes, and it's free. Our credit counsellors build budgets and paycheque plans with people every day, without judgment. Call 1-855-496-7319 or learn how credit counselling works.
Numbers not adding up?
That’s what we’re here for.
If your budget won’t balance no matter what you trim, it usually isn’t a budgeting problem. One free, confidential conversation with a credit counsellor can help you see options that are hard to spot from inside the stress.
Not ready to call? See how free credit counselling works
