Irregular Income Budget Google Sheets, Gig Worker Budget Template, Freelancer 1099 Tax Tracker, Mileage Log, Variable Income, Dark Mode

Uneven pay in. One steady paycheck out.

The Gig & Irregular Income Budget is a dark-mode Google Sheets template for people whose pay is different every week. Log each payout, shift or tip the day it lands. The sheet turns that uneven money into one steady monthly paycheck, shows which bills are covered so far, sets aside tax on your gig income, and gives you a cautious forecast for the months ahead.

★ THIS IS A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ★
No physical item will be shipped. After purchase you'll download a PDF guide with links to make your own copy of the template in Google Sheets. You need a free Google account to use it.

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WHO IT'S FOR
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• Rideshare and delivery drivers
• Freelancers, contractors and side hustlers
• Tipped and hospitality workers (servers, bartenders, salon staff)
• 1099 workers, and anyone mixing a part-time paycheck with gig or tip income

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WHAT'S INCLUDED
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• Start Here guide PDF with your copy links, quick start steps, tips and FAQ
• EXAMPLE version (filled in with sample numbers so you can see how it works)
• BLANK version (ready for your numbers)

9 connected tabs:
1. Start Here – 6-step setup, your money info and income sources
2. Dashboard – everything on one screen
3. Income Log – every payout, shift and tip, with hours and miles
4. Months – steady paycheck, buffer and cautious forecast
5. Bills – up to 40 bills
6. Spending – quick spending log
7. Taxes & Miles – quarterly tax set-aside and mileage
8. Debt – up to 10 debts
9. Savings – up to 10 goals

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FEATURES
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DASHBOARD
• Big "Left to spend this month" with a per-day amount and days left
• Tiles for earned, tax set aside, paycheck covered, bills/debt/savings, spent and buffer
• Bills covered so far, in due-date order, with "needs $X more" for the next one
• Income by source with $ per hour
• Next 3 months forecast, next quarterly tax payment, savings and debt progress

STEADY PAYCHECK FROM UNEVEN PAY
• All income lands in a holding account (your buffer); you pay yourself one steady paycheck each month
• Good months refill the buffer, slow months draw on it
• Cautious forecast uses your slowest of the last 3 full months, after tax

INCOME LOG
• Log any day, any amount: gig/1099, cash tips or a regular paycheck
• Hours and miles per entry
• $ per hour and $ per mile for each app, client, job or tip source

TAXES & MILES
• Sets aside your chosen % of gig and tip profit, after mileage and work costs
• 2026 standard mileage rates included (add a row when the rate changes)
• Federal quarterly due dates with a countdown and Paid checkboxes

BILLS
• Up to 40 bills: monthly, weekly, yearly or one-time
• Must-pay checkboxes for your bare-minimum month, plus Paid checkboxes

SPENDING
• Quick log: date, what, amount, category
• Tick Business? for work costs so they lower your tax set-aside

DEBT & SAVINGS
• Up to 10 debts with a debt-free date and % paid off
• Up to 10 savings goals with progress bars

EASY ON THE EYES
• Dark mode and the Lexend font, designed for easier reading
• Blue cells = type here. Everything else fills in by itself.
• Works on your phone in the free Google Sheets app
• Start any month, any year

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HOW IT WORKS
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1. Download the PDF guide after purchase
2. Click the link and choose "Make a copy" (sign in to Google first)
3. Fill in the blue cells on the Start Here tab, then add your bills
4. Log income as it comes in and open the Dashboard
5. Each new month, clear the Paid checkboxes. That's the only upkeep.

WANT THE FULL SELF-EMPLOYED SYSTEM?

Run a business on top of the gig work? The Self-Employed Money Bundle pairs this budget with the Freelancer Bookkeeping spreadsheet (dark + light): invoices, expenses, mileage, profit & loss and quarterly tax set-aside — then pay yourself a steady paycheck from it here. The bundle is $24.95. Bought separately the two cost $30.98, so the bundle saves you $6.03. Search PracticalHowTo for "Self-Employed Money Bundle".

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GOOD TO KNOW
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• Google Sheets template. Requires a free Google account.
• Built for Google Sheets, not Excel. You can download it as .xlsx, but some features may look or work differently.
• The tax set-aside is an estimate to help you save. It is not tax advice. State rules differ; ask a tax professional if you're unsure.
• This is a budgeting tool, not financial advice.
• Colors may look slightly different on different screens.
• Because this is a digital product, returns and exchanges aren't accepted. If anything isn't working, message me and I'll help.

PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please don't share, resell or redistribute the file or links.

Designed by Travis McGravis of PracticalHowTo with help from digital tools.

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