Three Buckets and a Coffee Can: A Simple Budget Anyone Can Use
Forget spreadsheets and budgeting apps. If you’ve got a pencil, a scrap of paper, and a little honesty—you can take control of your finances. No fancy math. No shame. You don’t need an expert, just a system that works for real life (and leaves room for your morning coffee).
Let’s Ditch the Fancy Stuff
A lot of people—especially those suddenly in charge of the household budget—feel overwhelmed. Maybe your spouse handled all the bills. Or maybe you’re just tired of the paycheck disappearing before the month is halfway over.
I was one of those. Living paycheck-to-paycheck. Working two jobs and not getting ahead – in fact, barely getting by. One day, I came up with a way to work my way out of the hole I was in.
It’s called Three Buckets and a Coffee Can.
All expenditures fit into one of three categories: Required, Needed, and Other.
Required expenditures are those needed to survive.
Bucket: Required
Mortgage or Rent
Utilities (electricity, water, gas)
Car payment
Insurance (health, auto, home)
Minimum debt payments
Needed expenditures are those necessary to maintain yourself or your family.
Bucket: Needed
Groceries
Gas
Household supplies
Medical costs
Personal care (haircuts, prescriptions)
“The ‘Other’ bucket holds the key. It’s not just waste—it’s opportunity, quietly draining away until you decide to reclaim it.”
Bucket: Other
Streaming services (one, two… five?)
Takeout meals
Hobby splurges
Phone upgrades
“Retail therapy”
Gifts and impulse buys
Bucket: Coffee Can
Emergency Fund
Dream Jar
Grandkid Fund
Cruise Account
What To Do With This?
Try this:
1. Pull your last bank or credit card statement.
2. For each transaction, label it: Required, Needed, Other, or Coffee Can.
3. Add them up. Be honest.
4. Ask yourself:
– Where am I overdoing it?
– What could I shift from “Other” into savings or debt payoff?
This exercise doesn’t cost you a dime. But it might save you hundreds—every month.
Examine each bucket. Where can you squeeze out a little cash? Lower the light bill by turning off lights? BUT — focus on the Other bucket!!
The ‘Other’ bucket is where you find the money to lower your debt load, put away savings for a cruise, or even just to buy a new fishing rod. Reclaim it, and you might just afford your own. Ask yourself the tough questions! Do I really need that streaming service? Do I eat out too often, simply because I don’t feel like cooking? (Hint: This is where I was wasting a bunch of money. Resolved to cook at home. Taught myself how. Now, I’m a damn good cook – AND my food bill has gone down! Amazing what you can do with a brussel sprout.) That could be you.
Real Talk
We’ve met single moms who can’t pay rent—but have five food delivery apps. We’ve met widows scared of the electric bill—while streaming movies on three services. We know seniors who live on credit cards, borrowing from one to make the payment on another.
This isn’t an indictment. It’s a symptom of the world we live in today. We’re pressured to “keep up with the Joneses”, but not being told that the Jones family is struggling just like the rest of us.
You don’t need judgment.
You need a flashlight and a plan.
This is both.
Helpful Tools To Get You Started:
Cash Envelope Wallet (Amazon)
Budget Journal with Category Stickers
Bill Negotiation Services (like Rocket Money)
Simple Budgeting Course for Beginners (Ude
Closing
Got your three buckets labeled? Good.
Now dig in, even if it’s uncomfortable. Control is earned—and you just took the first step.
Have your own budgeting trick? Share it in the comments.
And if this helped you at all, pass it along to someone else who could use a fresh start.