Worked example
You have £850 available with 14 days until payday. Bills of £420 are due before then, you need about £180 for food and travel, and you want to protect £50 of savings.
| Money available now | £850.00 |
|---|---|
| Total protected (£420 + £180 + £50) | £650.00 |
| Safe to spend | £200.00 |
| Per day for 14 days | £14.29 |
So you could spend about £14 a day on flexible things and still cover everything you protected.
Why your balance is not the same as spare money
Your account balance can include money already promised to rent, utilities, travel or food. Protecting those commitments first gives you a more realistic view of what is flexible. Include every payment due before your next income arrives, and round uncertain amounts up.