Building a realistic monthly budget before you borrow
Before any loan, an honest budget protects what you need to live on. A simple four-column method.
A budget is not a punishment. It is a snapshot. Write down your net income (salary, benefits, pensions), then your fixed costs: rent, energy, food, transport, existing loans. What is left must let you live, not just get by.
Four useful rules:
- Separate fixed costs from variable ones.
- Set aside an “unexpected” envelope, however small.
- Never base a monthly payment on your best month of the year.
- If what is left is too small, the right loan is sometimes no loan.
Social Help Crédit only lends when the budget still works after the repayment.
This content is educational. It is not legal advice and does not replace a personal assessment of your situation.