Samuel Peery over at the Getting Finances Done wrote a great post last week with some excellent tips on “[1] Budgeting on a self-employed or irregular income.” The info he outlines is some of the best advice I’ve seen for those working from home or looking to make a go at it:

Use cash for out-of-control categories - Since you may not know when your next paycheck will be, it’s more important than ever to keep a tight grip on variable expenses that tend to get out-of-control.

Build up a short-term emergency fund (STEF) equivalent to four weeks of expenses - A STEF will help smooth out the bumps inherent in an irregular income

Determine the timing and priority of expenses ahead of time - Planning the order in which expenses must be paid and allocated will relieve a ton of stress. You’ll know exactly where your income needs to go before you even get it.

Create a sample budget as a reality check and baseline - A sample budget helps to ensure you are not only living within your means but also achieving your high-level, long-term financial goals.

There’s a lot of valuable advice and good planning tips. Well worth a read.