But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. – Luke 12:48
When your income varies from week to week as an entrepreneur, budgeting can be difficult. When I first became an independent contractor, there were no longer exact amounts that were predetermined for my weekly income. However, that didn’t change that James and I wanted to be good stewards with our resources.
My husband, who is unbelievably smarter than I am in this area, developed this Excel tracker to help us:
- Give back to the Lord through tithing
- Put money back for taxes (quarterly or at the end of the year as an independent contractor)
- Put money back in personal savings responsibly
- Pay off student loans
- Manage multiple income streams
Formulas in the Stewardship Income Tracker automatically calculate:
- Weekly, Monthly & Annual Income (Actual income & averages)
- 10% tithe to the local church (Malachi 3:10)
- 20% for taxes (Mark 12:17) — This is an average & can be edited to caluclate a more accurate percentage for your personal tax bracket. To determine your bracket, consult your tax agent or quick reference here.
- 10% for personal savings (to save for family emergencies, unexpected expenses, etc.)
This template is 100% editable, so you can add additional income sources, change contribution percentages, or add additional categories, such as debt reduction, retirement, children’s college funds, etc.
For instructions on how to edit or create formula calculations in Excel, follow the instructions here.
If you’ve stumbled upon this blog & don’t have access to the tracker yet, you can get your free copy at www.stewardshipincometracker.com. I pray it blesses your family as much as it as helped us!
