<prompt> Human: This may sound like a stupid question but how does everyone set up a budget if their paychecks fluctuate. For example I work retail and my hours fluctuate depending on the week so how can I create a budget based on that  <response>: Buffer it.Take the minimum you expect to earn in one month. That becomes your budget. Any extra cash you get remains in your checking, so you can dip into that cushion if your earnings are less than you expect for that month.A buffer is not a replacement for an emergency fund. 