What if I have money left over at the end?

In true zero-based budgeting, that leftover gets assigned too, often to savings or extra debt payments, until Remaining to Zero is $0.

How many categories fit on one sheet?

12 rows, enough for most people's full zero-based budget.

Free Zero-Based Budget Worksheet Printable

The zero-based method: give every dollar of income a job, category by category, until there's nothing left unassigned. This worksheet tracks the assignment and what's left to zero out.

Zero-Based Budget Worksheet
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Category	Amount Assigned	Remaining to Zero

How to Use This Printable

Write your total income for the period at the top of your notes.
Assign an amount to each category until the total assigned matches your income.
Use the Remaining to Zero column to see what's still unassigned as you go.
Stop once Remaining to Zero hits $0, every dollar now has a job.

Ideas for Using This Printable

List savings and debt payoff as their own categories, not just leftovers, so they actually get funded.
Redo the sheet fresh each pay period rather than assuming the same split still fits.
Pair with the Paycheck Allocation Worksheet if you prefer working in percentages first.

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FAQ

What if I have money left over at the end?: In true zero-based budgeting, that leftover gets assigned too, often to savings or extra debt payments, until Remaining to Zero is $0.
How many categories fit on one sheet?: 12 rows, enough for most people's full zero-based budget.