The budget app built for variable income

Pull your last 6-12 months of net income data. Identify the lowest single month — not the 25th percentile, not the average, the actual worst. That's your planning income. Build your fixed-cost budget (rent, insurance, debt minimums, essential utilities, food floor) to fit under that number. Anything you earn above the floor in a higher-income month goes into a Buffer category that effectively becomes prepayment of next month's income. After 2-4 months you'll have a one-month buffer; after 6-12 months you'll have a 2-3 month buffer. Now you're no longer planning month-to-month — you're spending last month's income, which is the most-stable position a variable earner can reach. The 2024 Pew Research financial-stability survey showed households with 2+ months of liquid savings reported 60% less financial stress than those living check-to-check.

Tip income varies most by shift type, day of week, and season. The 2024 BLS Servers & Bartenders data put median hourly with tips at $14.50, but the spread is wide — a Friday dinner shift might net $35/hour while a Tuesday lunch nets $11. Tag each shift's tip income separately (Tips: Lunch, Tips: Dinner, Tips: Weekend) in Cash Compass so you see which shifts actually pay. Build your fixed-cost budget against your worst recent month's total — for many servers that's January or February post-holidays. Anything above that floor in a busier month goes to a Buffer category. About 70% of servers earn below 110% of the federal poverty line in some months per the Economic Policy Institute 2024 data — the floor-budget method is the difference between thriving and stretching.

Yes, and it's almost mandatory at that scale. Commission-only roles (financial advisor, insurance, real estate, B2B sales) often have months with no payout while deals close. The 2024 NAR data showed median real estate agent gross commission income of $55,800 but with concentration — typically 70%+ of an agent's annual income comes from 30% of the year. Track each closing as separate income with the deal-name tag. Build a Reserve category that holds 3-6 months of fixed expenses; this is non-negotiable for commission earners. The floor-budget method against your worst quarter (not month) might be more realistic. Cash Compass tracks the Reserve balance against a target so you can see whether the next slow quarter is survivable.

Set aside 25-30% of each income deposit immediately, before budgeting anything else. The IRS expects quarterly estimated payments on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 if you expect to owe over $1,000. Create a Savings: Taxes category in Cash Compass and log a transfer from each gross income deposit — at the percentage that fits your tax bracket. The 2024 IRS data showed median self-employment-tax bill among Schedule C filers under $50,000 net income was about $7,100; from $50,000-$100,000 it was $14,800. Whatever you actually owe at filing comes out of this set-aside category, not from your operating budget. Many variable-income earners use a separate savings account for this; Cash Compass tracks the discipline regardless of where the money sits.