Start with the month you are planning.
Pay arriving and money being available for a particular purpose are different things. Before assigning next month’s spending, review the income you expect to use and the costs that need to come from it.
Income Mapping is Moolah’s monthly planning routine. Review an income pool, enter a spending plan and choose goal contributions for the month ahead. You can revisit those amounts when circumstances change. It is a record of your choices; it does not transfer money between bank accounts.
Work through the three parts of your map.
- Review the income pool. Check that the amount you are planning from is realistic. If some income is uncertain, record that uncertainty before committing it to a goal.
- Plan spending. Review the amounts for essentials and everyday life. Think about costs due in this particular month, including bills that do not arrive every month.
- Choose goal contributions. Decide which goals matter this month, enter their contributions and review what remains to be assigned.
One month, worked through.
Here is a fictional Australian household example. All amounts are AUD; these are example choices, not recommended spending targets.
| Income pool | $8,280 |
|---|---|
| Essentials | −$4,575 |
| Lifestyle | −$1,595 |
| Cash cushion contribution | −$1,200 |
| Japan goal contribution | −$591 |
| Left to plan | $319 |
The $319 has not yet been assigned in this plan. It is not a live bank balance or an instruction to spend. The household can review upcoming costs, adjust a contribution or leave room for uncertainty before finalising the month.
When income or bills change.
If a bill is larger than expected, revisit the spending amount and the goal contributions together. If a freelance payment arrives later, review the income pool before relying on it. The value of the map is seeing which other choice needs to change.
You can use this routine alongside weekly or fortnightly pay, but Income Mapping itself is organised by month. It does not promise a separate allocation for each pay run or automatically move an amount into a bank account. Use the cashflow view to review the wider picture as actual income and spending arrive.
Try the routine with your own numbers.
Write down your planning month, income pool, essential costs, everyday spending and intended goal contributions. Subtract the spending and contributions from the pool. If the result is negative, revisit the amounts before treating the plan as complete.
Download the monthly planning worksheet (CSV). It opens in spreadsheet apps and contains no bank connection or automatic transfers. For a broader starting point, see ASIC Moneysmart’s budgeting guide or our spreadsheet alternative guide.
Keep the plan close.
Review the map before the next month starts, then compare your plan with actual cashflow as the month unfolds. A useful routine is one you can return to and adjust.
Moolah’s mobile app is included in Standard and Pro; desktop access is included in Pro. See plans and trial terms. Forecasts depend on the information you enter; read the modelling and estimates disclosure for limitations.