初學者攝影課程單元

Course structure

Module	Lessons	Learning goal
1. Where your money goes	1.1 Tracking for 30 days · 1.2 Fixed vs flexible costs	Know your real monthly spending
2. Building a budget	2.1 The 50/30/20 rule · 2.2 Your first budget in one hour	Have a working budget
3. Safety net	3.1 Emergency fund · 3.2 Dealing with debt	Plan a 3-month cushion
4. Making it stick	4.1 Standing transfers and savings pots · 4.2 Monthly money date	Keep the budget going

Lesson 2.1 — The 50/30/20 rule (excerpt)

Goal: by the end of this lesson you can split your take-home pay into three parts and see which one is out of balance.

Imagine your take-home pay is $3,000 a month. The 50/30/20 rule says:

• 50% — needs ($1,500): rent, groceries, transport, minimum loan payments. Things you'd still pay for if you lost your job tomorrow.
• 30% — wants ($900): eating out, streaming, gym, trips. Life is meant to be enjoyed; this part makes the budget something you can actually live with.
• 20% — future you ($600): emergency fund, extra debt payments, saving for goals.

Here's the honest part: in many cities rent alone eats 40% of a first salary. That's fine. The rule is a compass, not a law. If needs take 60%, the question is simply: where do the extra 10% come from — wants, or future you, and for how long?

Example. Sam earns $2,800. Rent and bills: $1,550 (55%). Wants: $950 (34%). Savings: $300 (11%). Sam doesn't need to cut everything. Moving $150 from takeaway to savings brings him to 16% in one step.

Practice task

1. Take last month's spending from Lesson 1.1
2. Sort every line into Needs, Wants or Future
3. Work out each share as a percentage of take-home pay
4. Write one change that moves you 5% closer to 50/30/20

Quick check (with answers)

1. Your phone bill is a… need (you need a working phone; the newest model is a want)
2. Paying more than the minimum on a credit card counts as… future you
3. True or false: if your needs exceed 50%, the budget has failed. False — adjust the other two parts