As an influencer or content creator, you often don’t know what to expect with your budget because of your irregular income. Some months can skyrocket you to financial success, while others have you scraping by.
Let’s talk about how to budget with irregular income and make your month-to-month expenses more financially comfortable as a creator. That means having enough to cover your living expenses when your slow season hits.
What Is Irregular Income?
To start, let’s talk about irregular income. Most people are used to a W2 job where they get paid every two weeks. This can be either part-time or full-time, but you typically know when to expect your check to come in.
Irregular income is often unpredictable by nature. Payments can be dependent on reaching a certain threshold. Net 30/60/90 can lead to paychecks coming in at different time frames. Sponsorships and partnerships can also have a range of payment terms that contribute to the confusing payment schedules.
Irregular Income Examples
Irregular income can have a wide time range for payments. The most predictable are services like Google Adsense or Twitch. They pay out monthly so long as you reach the payment threshold. Sponsors can vary greatly depending on how payment terms are decided.
Many of your payments from brands and sponsors come directly through PayPal and Venmo. There are so many sources of income that come in sporadically, it can be easy to lose track of it all. So how do you budget around unpredictable payments? We’ve got some tips!
Track Your Payments
Content creators are constantly working on multiple videos and posts. It can be easy to lose track of payments when you’re working on 5 different projects at once. Keep a spreadsheet of your projects, who their for, and where and when you should be expecting payment.
It’s a lot easier to keep up with payments when you have it all in an easy-to-read place. We’ve seen too many creators miss out on income because they forgot who still owed them for their work. Collecting payment can be a pain, but we recommend DUPAY if you ever run into issues with receiving payments from a sponsor or brand!
Building A Budget Around The Slow Months
One of the best ways to handle irregular income is to plan around your slow months, not your best ones. If you know that certain times of the year tend to be quieter for sponsorships or ad revenue, use your high-earning months to prepare.
A good rule of thumb is to set aside enough to cover at least three to six months of your essential expenses. That way, when brand deals slow down or ad revenue dips, you can still pay your bills without stressing about where the next check is coming from.
Create an Emergency Fund
Every influencer should have an emergency fund. It’s your safety net when life happens, whether that’s a broken camera lens, a canceled brand partnership, or unexpected travel costs. Aim to build a cushion of at least three months of expenses, but more is even better when you’re living off irregular income.
This fund gives you peace of mind, allowing you to focus on creating content instead of stressing about money.
Done-for-you taxes and bookkeeping for creators
Separate Business and Personal Expenses
When your payments come in from multiple platforms, it can get messy quickly. The easiest way to keep things clear is to have separate bank accounts for business and personal spending. Your business account is where all your income lands and where you pay for business-related costs like editing software, lighting equipment, or even your WiFi. We make business bank accounts easy with our Creator Business Essentials! Check it out!
Your personal account is where your groceries, rent, and iced coffee budget live. This separation makes taxes easier and keeps your budgeting stress low.
Use a 50/30/20 Rule (With a Twist)
The 50/30/20 budgeting method is simple and works even with irregular income. Traditionally, it means 50 percent of your income goes to needs, 30 percent to wants, and 20 percent to savings. For influencers, you can tweak this method a bit.
Think of it as:
- 50 percent for essentials like rent, food, and insurance
- 25 – 30 percent for savings and taxes
- 10 – 15 percent for business growth, like equipment upgrades, subscriptions, or outsourcing editing
- 10 percent for fun (because yes, you deserve it)
By prioritizing savings and business reinvestment, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success.
Save for Taxes Year-Round
Taxes can sneak up on influencers, especially with so many income streams. Unlike a W2 job, no one is withholding taxes for you. The best move is to save a percentage of every payment you get. A safe number is 25 to 30 percent.
Put this money in a separate savings account so you’re not tempted to touch it. When tax season arrives, you’ll thank yourself for being so disciplined. Pro Tip: Put this money into a high-interest yield savings account so you can get even more for the money you save!
The Bottom Line
Budgeting with irregular income as a creator comes down to planning ahead, protecting yourself during slow months, and keeping your money organized. When you build habits like paying yourself a steady salary, saving for taxes, and separating your accounts, you create financial peace of mind. That way, you can focus more on creating and less on stressing.
Ready to Take Control of Your Irregular Income?
Budgeting as an influencer doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right systems in place, you can smooth out the ups and downs of irregular income and finally feel in control of your money. The more intentional you are with planning, saving, and tracking, the more freedom you’ll have to focus on what you love most, creating amazing content.
If you’re ready to stop stressing about money and start thriving as a creator, Cookie Finance is here to help. We specialize in taxes, bookkeeping, and budgeting for influencers and content creators just like you.
Book a call with Cookie Finance today, and let’s make your irregular income work for you.