Gather one complete picture
Choose a month and collect the balances, salary payments and bills for every account you use. Include cash spending and credit-card purchases. A transfer between your own accounts changes where money sits, but is not new income or a new expense.
Budgetberatung Schweiz provides budget templates for different situations. Use them as a checklist; fill in your own numbers rather than adopting someone else’s allowances.
Separate spending by how it behaves
Put rent, insurance premiums and regular subscriptions under fixed costs. Groceries, meals out and leisure belong in everyday spending. Keep a separate list for bills that arrive once or a few times a year.
Use the last few months to identify an ordinary range for variable costs. One holiday month is a poor baseline for the whole year. A 13th salary can help fund annual expenses, but it is not money available in your account every month.
Work through a monthly example
In this fictional household, CHF 5,200 of monthly net income is allocated as follows. The yearly bills total CHF 6,000, so their monthly reserve is CHF 500.
| Item | CHF per month |
|---|---|
| Net income | 5,200 |
| Fixed costs | −2,400 |
| Everyday spending | −1,100 |
| Reserve for annual bills | −500 |
| Savings target | −400 |
| Still unallocated | 800 |
Review the plan without losing the detail
At the end of the month, compare each category with its plan. Correct missing entries and transfers before concluding that spending is too high. Keep one-off purchases visible instead of silently spreading them into unrelated categories.
In Ausgaben.ch, create your accounts with an opening balance, record or import transactions and set category budgets. Review the balance separately from the monthly budget: the balance includes money already held before the period began. For a shared household, agree on categories and contributions before comparing individual spending.
Common questions
Is a budget the same as my account balance?
No. A budget is a plan for income and spending during a period. Your account balance also includes the money held before that period and the actual dates of payments.
Should I use a fixed percentage rule?
A percentage can be a starting point for discussion, but it does not know your rent, household size or bills. Check whether your actual commitments fit before adopting a rule.
Swiss reference sources
Practical guides from Ausgaben.ch, prepared with AI assistance. Examples are fictional. Linked reference sources explain the Swiss context; your own bills and contracts determine your budget.
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