A real zero-based budget for a family of four earning $80K. Every dollar assigned, every category explained. Copy this budget to your Google Drive and adjust the numbers to fit your life.
Free. Configured for a family of four. Adjust amounts to match your income.
$80,000 gross income for a family of four. Here's what actually lands in the budget after taxes and pre-tax deductions.
| Line item | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross income | $80,000 | $6,667 |
| Federal + state taxes | −$14,400 | −$1,200 |
| Health insurance (employer plan) | −$4,800 | −$400 |
| 401(k) contribution (6%) | −$4,800 | −$400 |
| Take-home pay (budget this) | $56,000 | $4,667 |
Assumes married filing jointly in a moderate-tax state. Your numbers will differ — adjust the template.
Every dollar has a job. Here's exactly where this family's $4,667 goes each month.
| Category | Amount | % of take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | ||
| Mortgage (P&I + escrow) | $1,450 | 31% |
| Electric | $140 | 3% |
| Water / Sewer | $60 | 1% |
| Internet | $70 | 2% |
| Home Maintenance | $200 | 4% |
| Food | ||
| Groceries | $650 | 14% |
| Dining Out | $150 | 3% |
| Transportation | ||
| Gas | $200 | 4% |
| Car Insurance | $175 | 4% |
| Car Maintenance | $75 | 2% |
| Personal & Kids | ||
| Kids Activities | $150 | 3% |
| Clothing (family) | $100 | 2% |
| Subscriptions | $60 | 1% |
| Fun Money (each partner) | $100 | 2% |
| Savings & Sinking Funds | ||
| Emergency Fund | $300 | 6% |
| Vacation Fund | $150 | 3% |
| Christmas / Gifts | $100 | 2% |
| Giving | ||
| Charitable Giving | $100 | 2% |
| Medical | ||
| Medical / Dental (out-of-pocket) | $100 | 2% |
| Available to Budget | $0 | — |
Total: $4,330 allocated + $337 in categories above = $4,667. Every dollar assigned. Available to Budget = $0.
No car payment
This family drives paid-off vehicles. That frees up $400–$700/month compared to families with two car loans. It's the single biggest budget unlock at this income level.
Employer covers retirement match
The 6% 401(k) contribution comes out pre-tax and gets an employer match. This means retirement savings are happening even though the take-home budget doesn't show a retirement line.
Sinking funds prevent surprises
Christmas gifts, car maintenance, and vacation are funded monthly instead of being December emergencies. $250/month across those three categories = $3,000/year of "surprises" eliminated.
Fun Money preserves sanity
Each partner gets $50/month (totaling $100) to spend without accountability. It is a small line item but prevents resentment. No one feels trapped by the budget.
Plug in your real take-home
Look at last month's direct deposit. That's your monthly budget number. Everything else scales from there.
Lock in your fixed costs first
Mortgage, insurance, car payment — these don't flex. Budget them exactly as billed.
Adjust variable categories to fit
Groceries, dining, fun money — these are where you have flexibility. If fixed costs are higher than this example, these compress.
Add kid-specific categories if needed
Childcare ($800–$2,000/month) changes everything. If you pay for daycare, it replaces several discretionary categories.
Start with these categories and amounts as your baseline. Adjust to fit your family's income and priorities. Setup takes 10 minutes.