Mustachians, please help. I've been reading here for a very long time and have done a lot of searching, but I am still struggling and really, really need to be out of this paycheck to paycheck cycle.
I am a baby mustachian, and I have absolutely zero debt, credit cards, or loans of any sort. This is probably the only thing saving me right now, to be honest. My main problem with budgeting is that I have the most irregular income of anyone I know. Mathematically, I do make enough to pay my bills and save... Although it's by a very slim margin.
The problem is that I get paid pretty much daily, and the amount varies depending on effort, luck, if I've released new content, etc. Some days I will make $14, and some days I will make 200, and there's really not much telling how much I will make until the day is over. Then, it takes a week for the money to get from my work account to my bank. So, for example, today is Friday, & I just got money in my bank account for last Friday's work.
If I add up everything I made last month, then I have enough for my theoretical budget to work and still have cushion to put back and save. My problem is that I can't seem to get ahead enough to do things like buy groceries in bulk. Being able to be ahead enough to do things like that is the only way for my budget to actually work. Sometimes, on the days where I make like $14, I have to do a single days worth of grocery shopping, even though it's not the most cost-effective way to do it. Likewise, I should have had enough money to be able to save last month, but I didn't get to put anything back into my savings account because spending little bits of money everyday for groceries made it difficult for me to pay my actual bills.
I've got a fairly significant expense coming up, and I'm working extra hours and putting in more time right now, and I'm seeing my income go up slowly. I don't want to be caught in a trap where I am making a little bit more and still in the same position. Do you have any advice for me? I could really use the help. If there is any more information that you need, I'll be happy to provide it.