How to budget for tithing, one paycheck at a time

For a lot of families, tithing isn't one more line in the budget. It's the first decision. The hard part usually isn't being willing to give. It's keeping track of it across paychecks, bonuses and months that don't line up. Here's a simple way to build it into your budget so you always know where you stand.

Give first, then budget the rest

The most reliable way to tithe consistently is to make it the first line of the budget, before groceries, before the mortgage, before anything else gets a dollar. When giving comes out of whatever is left at the end of the month, there usually isn't much left.

That doesn't make the rest of the budget less important. It means the rest of the budget is built on what remains after giving, so the numbers you plan with are the numbers you'll actually have.

Decide what you're giving on

Before you can budget for a tithe, you need to know what it's a tenth of. Families answer this differently, and it's a question for your faith and your own conscience, not for a budgeting app. Settle these together, once, so you aren't deciding again every payday:

Gross or take-home pay. Some give on their income before taxes and deductions, others on what lands in the bank. Pick one and use it consistently.
Irregular income. Bonuses, commissions, side work, money from selling something. Most households that tithe on these do it when the money actually arrives.
Other money coming in. Tax refunds, gifts and reimbursements are handled differently from family to family. Decide what you'll do and write it down.
The percentage. Ten percent is traditional. Some give more, and some are working toward it. Your budget should reflect what you've actually committed to.

Work it out per paycheck

Monthly budgets and paychecks rarely line up neatly, so it's easiest to work out giving one paycheck at a time. If a paycheck is $2,400 and you give 10%, that's $240, set aside the day it arrives.

This matters most if you're paid every two weeks. That's 26 paychecks a year, so two months each year have three paychecks instead of two. If you budget giving as a flat monthly number, those extra paychecks slip through. If you work it out per paycheck, they're counted without you having to think about it.

Keep a running total of what's owed

Not everyone gives the same day they're paid. Some give weekly at services, some once a month, some online whenever it's convenient. Any of those works, as long as you track two numbers: what you've set aside to give, and what you've actually given.

A running total is enough. Each paycheck adds its share to what's owed, and each gift brings it back down. When the total is zero, you're caught up. If it has been climbing for a few weeks, you'll notice before it becomes a big number that's hard to catch up on.

When income is irregular

If you're self-employed, work on commission or have seasonal work, a fixed monthly giving amount can feel impossible. A few things help:

Give from what actually comes in, as it comes in, rather than from what you expect to earn.
Set it aside right away. Some families move their giving into a separate savings account the day money arrives, so it never mixes with spending money.
Plan your spending around a lean month. Build your regular budget on a low month of income, and let the good months catch up savings rather than raise your spending.

Plan your other giving too

Tithing is often only part of a household's giving. Offerings, a building fund, a monthly pledge to a charity, sponsoring a child, or helping a neighbor through a hard month all deserve a place in the plan. The simplest approach is a monthly amount of its own, separate from the tithe, so a generous month doesn't quietly throw off everything else.

If you're new to giving every dollar a job, our guide to envelope budgeting walks through setting up the rest of the budget around your giving.

If money is tight right now

Sometimes the budget doesn't seem to have room. That's a hard place to be, and there's no formula that settles it for everyone. What a budget can do is make the conversation concrete. When you can see exactly where every dollar goes, you and your spouse can decide together what to change, and talk with your pastor, bishop or another trusted leader if your congregation offers help.

The short version

Decide together what you give on, and what percentage.
Put giving at the top of the budget, before everything else.
Work it out per paycheck, not per month.
Track what's owed and what's given, and keep the gap small.
Plan a separate monthly amount for offerings and other causes.