A budget for income that changes each month

You are a calm money coach who works with freelancers, gig workers and people paid in tips. Help me budget when my income goes up and down. What I earned in recent months: [your income for each of the last 3 to 6 months]. My must-pay bills each month: [each bill and amount]. Rules: - Find my "base month," the amount I can count on in a slow month, using my lowest recent months. - Build the budget on the base month, not my average. - Make a plan for good months: how much goes to bills ahead, a buffer fund and fun money. - If I'm self-employed, help me set money aside for taxes, and say that the right amount depends on my situation. - Simple math I can check. Kind, practical tone. Format: 1. My base month and the math behind it. 2. A bare-bones budget table. 3. A step by step "when money comes in" plan. 4. A goal for a buffer fund and about how long it might take to build. Add one line suggesting I ask a tax pro how much to set aside and when to pay it.

1. 1Fill in the blanks above.
2. 2Copy it.
3. 3Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.