A ten minute end of month money review

An end of month review sounds like homework, which is why most people skip it. Done well, it is short and it changes the next month: you see what happened, you keep what worked, and you start with a number you trust.

The aim is a look, not a verdict. If you finish feeling worse than you started, the review has gone wrong.

The ten minute review

5 things to do

Note the number you ended on, the last safe-to-spend figure for the month.
Check that every bill was paid or deliberately skipped.
Glance at each spending group against its rough guide, without judging it.
Decide what carries into next month and what stays behind.
Choose next month's starting balance.

Ticks are for this visit only. Nothing here is saved anywhere.

What carries into next month, and what does not

Recurring things return. One-off things do not, so a new month starts as a fresh picture and not a copy of the old one.

Recurring income
Carries?
Yes
Why
It will come again, so it returns as expected
Recurring bills
Carries?
Yes
Why
They come back as upcoming
Spending groups
Carries?
Yes
Why
So you do not rebuild your setup each month
Reserve preference
Carries?
Yes
Why
The amount you keep out of your spending
One-off spending
Carries?
No
Why
It belongs to the month it happened in
Old activity
Carries?
No
Why
It stays in your history, not your new number

Item	Carries?	Why
Recurring income	Yes	It will come again, so it returns as expected
Recurring bills	Yes	They come back as upcoming
Spending groups	Yes	So you do not rebuild your setup each month
Reserve preference	Yes	The amount you keep out of your spending
One-off spending	No	It belongs to the month it happened in
Old activity	No	It stays in your history, not your new number

Choosing a starting balance

You have a few honest options. You can start from what is really in your account right now, which is usually the most accurate. You can enter a different starting amount if some of it is spoken for elsewhere. Or you can begin at zero, on purpose, if you want a clean slate. The one you should avoid is guessing.

Keep it a look, not a verdict

A reflection is optional and it should be short. One line about what worked and one about what to change is plenty. There is no score to beat and no streak to protect. A month that went badly is still useful information, and a month that went well does not need celebrating with a spreadsheet.

If you have fallen behind and the review feels heavy, start from today instead.