Personal finances
A budget shows how income and expenses fit together.
Goal: understand the basics and find the right official help route.
Translated from Swedish. Always rely on the Swedish text and the official source.
Show the original Swedish text
Privatekonomi
En budget visar hur inkomster och utgifter hänger ihop.
- En budget listar inkomster och utgifter för att visa om pengarna räcker.
- Tidigare räkningar och kontoutdrag hjälper dig att hitta verkliga kostnader.
- Konsumentverkets beräknade kostnader är exempel som kan behöva anpassas.
- Du kan använda ett verktyg, en mall eller papper och penna.
- Lista månadens inkomster.
- Lista verkliga kostnader med hjälp av dina underlag.
- Jämför summorna och följ upp efter månaden.
Exempelbelopp passar inte exakt alla hushåll. Detta är en grundövning, inte individuell kredit- eller investeringsrådgivning. Skriv inga kontouppgifter här.
Good to know
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A budget lists income and expenses to show whether the money is enough.
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Previous bills and bank statements help you find your real costs.
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The Swedish Consumer Agency’s calculated costs are examples that may need adjusting.
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You can use a tool, a template or pen and paper.
Three steps to get started
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List the month’s income.
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List real costs with the help of your documents.
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Compare the totals and follow up after the month.
A practical checklist to try. It does not add any legal requirements.
Important distinctions
Example amounts do not fit every household. This is a basic exercise, not personal advice about loans or investments. Do not write any account details here.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
A. It is based on the household’s real income and expenses.
Examples are a support but need to be adapted to your everyday life.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Sources
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Konsumentverket
Så gör du en budget (opens in a new tab)“I en budget skriver du upp dina inkomster och utgifter för att se om pengarna räcker och vad de går till.”
Checked . Check the source again before you act. Rules and contact routes can change.
In depth
Modules and guides
11 modules in this area. Everyone can read the modules marked Free. The rest are part of Premium.
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Budget with income after tax
How to make a simple monthly budget from the money that actually comes into your account.
Budget with income after tax. How to make a simple monthly budget from the money that actually comes into your account.The essentials
- Make your budget with the amount that reaches your account after tax.
- Write down all income and expenses for a normal month.
- Use bills and bank statements from recent months as a guide.
- If the money is not enough, rent, food and electricity are the most important things to pay.
- The Swedish Consumer Agency cost examples are a guide, not exact amounts for your household.
Key words
- månadsbudget
- A plan that shows income and expenses for one month.
- lön efter skatt
- The part of your salary left after tax has been taken out.
- fast utgift
- An expense that is usually about the same each month.
- rörlig utgift
- An expense that can change from one month to the next.
- budget- och skuldrådgivning
- Help from your municipality with a budget and questions about debt.
After this module, you can…
- make a monthly budget from income after tax
- tell fixed expenses from variable expenses
- find help if the money is not enough
Nora gets an overview
Nora writes down her salary after tax, rent, electricity and other expenses. When she compares them with her bank statements, she sees which costs change.
Count with the money after tax
When you have a job, your employer takes tax from your salary before the money reaches your account. How much tax you pay depends on, among other things, which municipality you live in and how big your income is.
Always make the budget from the amount that actually comes into your account, not the salary before tax. The amount is on your pay slip.
Write down all income
List everything that comes in during one month:
- Salary after tax.
- Benefits and payments, for example child benefit, housing benefit or payments from an unemployment insurance fund.
- Other regular income.
Write down all expenses
Split the expenses into fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are about the same each month, such as rent, electricity, insurance, mobile phone and loans. Variable expenses change, such as food, clothes and entertainment.
Tip: Go through your bank statements for the last few months. Then you can see where the money really goes.
Pay the most important things first
If the money is not enough for everything: the most important things to pay are rent, food and electricity. Without them you risk losing your home or having a very hard time in daily life.
Use a budget tool
Konsumentverket has a free budget calculator on its website where you can make your own budget. Update the budget when something changes, for example a new salary, new rent or a new child.
Read more (2 sections)
Are the cost examples exact?
No. The Swedish Consumer Agency’s household costs are examples that help you estimate expenses. They are updated once a year, but your household may have different costs.
- Compare the examples with your own bills and bank statements.
- Change the amounts to fit your family and situation.
- Use the calculator to see how a change affects your budget.
Can your municipality help when money is tight?
Yes. Your municipality’s budget and debt adviser can help you plan your money and handle debts.
- You can get help to make a budget and decide which debts to pay first.
- The adviser can help you contact the people or companies you owe money to.
- You can get help to apply for debt relief.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
B. The amount that reaches your account
Your budget should show the money you can use after tax.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
A. Rent, food and electricity
Konsumentverket lists rent, food and electricity as the most important bills.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Sources
- Konsumentverket: Budgetkalkylen – att göra en budget (opens in a new tab)
- Konsumentverket: Orolig för ekonomin – vad kan du göra? (opens in a new tab)
- Konsumentverket: Hjälp med ekonomin hos kommunens budget- och skuldrådgivning (opens in a new tab)
- Skatteverket: Skatteverket (opens in a new tab)
- Konsumentverket: Starta Budgetkalkylen (opens in a new tab)
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Bank accounts, cards and payments
Your right to open a bank account and what applies if someone uses your card.
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Bank accounts, cards and payments. Your right to open a bank account and what applies if someone uses your card.Du har rätt till ett vanligt bankkonto Locked
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Skydda kort och koder Locked
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Om någon använder ditt konto utan lov Locked
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Vilka tjänster ingår i ett grundläggande betalkonto? Locked
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Vad gör du om någon använt kontot utan lov? Locked
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Swish and safe transfers
Why a transfer is hard to undo and how you avoid being tricked.
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Swish and safe transfers. Why a transfer is hard to undo and how you avoid being tricked.När kan du återkalla en betalning? Locked
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Om du har blivit lurad Locked
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Bills, OCR reference numbers and payment dates
How you read a bill, pay it correctly and what it costs to pay late.
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Bills, OCR reference numbers and payment dates. How you read a bill, pay it correctly and what it costs to pay late.Det här står på en faktura Locked
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Om du betalar för sent Locked
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Vilka avgifter kan tillkomma? Locked
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Direct debit and electronic bills
Two ways to pay bills automatically, and how you keep control.
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Direct debit and electronic bills. Two ways to pay bills automatically, and how you keep control.E-faktura Locked
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Autogiro Locked
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Vad bör du kontrollera innan du betalar? Locked
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Sources
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Emergency savings and everyday saving
Why a small money buffer makes a big difference and how you get started.
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Emergency savings and everyday saving. Why a small money buffer makes a big difference and how you get started.Varför buffert? Locked
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Så kommer du igång Locked
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Hitta pengar att spara Locked
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Täcker kostnadsexemplen alla utgifter? Locked
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Insurance and the amount you pay yourself
What home insurance covers, what the excess [the part you pay yourself] means and how you compare.
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Insurance and the amount you pay yourself. What home insurance covers, what the excess [the part you pay yourself] means and how you compare.Hemförsäkring Locked
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Vad är självrisk? Locked
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Jämför försäkringar Locked
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Credit, interest and paying in parts
What a loan really costs and what rights you have as a borrower.
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Credit, interest and paying in parts. What a loan really costs and what rights you have as a borrower.Ny konsumentkreditlag Locked
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Gäller samma skydd för alla krediter? Locked
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Guide: Debt collection, debts and Kronofogden
Step by step: from an unpaid bill to a debt collection demand and a payment order [a legal order to pay].
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Guide: Debt collection, debts and Kronofogden. Step by step: from an unpaid bill to a debt collection demand and a payment order [a legal order to pay].Så går det till Locked
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Det här ska ett inkassokrav innehålla Locked
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Brev från Kronofogden Locked
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Vad gör du om kravet inte stämmer? Locked
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Sources
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Guide: Budget and debt advice
Free help from the municipality when you do not have enough money or your debts grow.
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Guide: Budget and debt advice. Free help from the municipality when you do not have enough money or your debts grow.Vad är budget- och skuldrådgivning? Locked
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Så gör du Locked
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Skuldsanering Locked
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Vad gör du medan du väntar på rådgivning? Locked
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Sources
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Money when you are under 18
Bank account, BankID [the Swedish electronic ID], Swish [the Swedish mobile payment app] and a small weekly budget. This is how you protect your money.
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Money when you are under 18. Bank account, BankID [the Swedish electronic ID], Swish [the Swedish mobile payment app] and a small weekly budget. This is how you protect your money.Ett bankkonto i ditt namn Locked
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Skydda konto och e-legitimation Locked
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Vilka pengar får du själv bestämma över? Locked
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Sources
General information, not individual legal, medical or financial advice.