> Every Dollar's Job · Prepare Your Inputs

# Preparation Checklist

## The Problem

It is easy to skim a worksheet and think "I'll fill that in later." Later, you are in the app with a blank budget and no numbers to type. This checklist makes sure the four numbers from the last lesson are real, written down, and within reach before you touch the app.

## The Four Numbers

Fill these in. If any line is blank, go back to Find Your Real Numbers and finish that part.

1. Monthly Take-Home Pay: $__________
2. Monthly Fixed Expenses: $__________
3. Monthly Variable Costs: $__________
4. Monthly Debt Payments: $__________
5. What's left: Take-Home Pay − Fixed Expenses − Debt Payments = $__________

## Worksheet: Check Your Work

![Checking off each item on the preparation checklist](/videos/learn/every-dollars-job/module-2/preparation-checklist/checklist.webm)

- [ ] My take-home pay came from pay stubs or bank deposits, not a guess.
- [ ] I converted my pay to a monthly figure.
- [ ] Every fixed expense has an exact amount and a due date.
- [ ] Yearly and twice-yearly bills are divided into monthly amounts.
- [ ] My variable costs are averaged from at least 3 months of statements.
- [ ] Every debt has a balance, an interest rate, and a minimum payment.
- [ ] I know my debt-to-income ratio.
- [ ] I have my last 2 or 3 months of bank and credit card statements handy. You will export them as CSV files in Module 3.

## When to Pause

Two results deserve a hard look before you continue.

**Fixed expenses plus debt payments are more than take-home pay.** The budget cannot balance until that changes. Either income goes up or a fixed cost comes down. The app can show you the gap. It cannot close it for you. If you are in this spot, a nonprofit credit counselor is worth a call before you go further.

**You could not find a number.** Do not estimate it. Go get the document. A budget built on one guess turns into a budget built on five.

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**Key Takeaway:** Four real numbers, written down, statements within reach. That is all the preparation a budget needs. Everything from here on happens in the app.

## Check Your Understanding

1. What are the four numbers you should have before starting Module 3?
   **Answer:** Monthly Take-Home Pay, Monthly Fixed Expenses, Monthly Variable Costs, and Monthly Debt Payments.

2. What should you do if you could not find one of the numbers?
   **Answer:** Go find the document and get the real figure. Do not estimate it.

3. Why do you need your bank statements handy for the next module?
   **Answer:** Module 3 has you export those statements as CSV files and import them into the app.

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[Find Your Real Numbers](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-2/find-your-real-numbers.md)
[Set Up Your Sandbox](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-3/set-up-your-sandbox.md)