Free Tip Income Budget Template for Servers and Bartenders
If you get paid every shift in tips, a normal budget doesn't fit your life. One Saturday pays your phone bill and a slow Tuesday barely covers gas. This free spreadsheet lets you plan your bills from your slowest week, so the good nights actually get you ahead.
Free. No sign-up, no email, no bank login. Works in Excel 2019 or newer and Microsoft 365, and you can upload it to Google Sheets.
I've been on your side of the pass
I spent 15 years running restaurants. I've watched great servers walk out with $400 on a Friday and be broke by Wednesday. It wasn't because they were bad with money. Their money just never came in the same way twice, and every budget they tried assumed it would.
So I built this the way I wish someone had shown my crews. Count on your worst recent week. Treat anything above that as extra. Put some aside for taxes before you spend it.
What's inside
- A shift log. Date, hours, hourly wage, cash tips, card tips and tip-out. Your net for the shift fills in by itself.
- Weekly totals. Every shift rolls up into its week, Monday to Sunday, so you can see your last five weeks side by side.
- Plan from your floor. Your floor is your lowest week out of the last four. Bills get planned from that number, not from your best night.
- Extra, shown on its own. Anything you make above your floor shows up as extra. That's your buffer, your savings, or the card you want gone.
- A tax set-aside. Pick a percent and the sheet sets it aside from every week, since tips often aren't fully withheld from your check.
- Bills due before the end of next week. List your bills with due dates and see which ones your money has to cover right now.
Example. Your last four weeks came in at $932, $914, $720 and $986. Your floor is $720, the slow week.
With 12 percent set aside for taxes, you can count on about $634. Your share of rent, your phone and car insurance come to $607 over the next two weeks, so they're covered even if this turns into another slow week. This week you're at $926, so about $181 is extra after taxes. That's money that gets you ahead instead of just catching you up.
How to use it
- Download your copy. It's yours to change.
- Log every shift on the Shifts tab. Do it before you leave the parking lot, while you still know what you walked with. The example shifts are there to show how it works, so delete them and add yours.
- Open the Weekly Plan tab. Set the Monday your week starts and your tax percent. List your bills with their due dates. Then check two numbers: what's left from your floor after bills, and your extra.
Questions
Is the template really free?
Yes. No sign-up and no email. Download it, change anything you like, and share it with your whole crew.
Why plan from my lowest week?
Because a slow week is coming, whether it's weather, a holiday, or getting cut early. If your bills fit inside your worst recent week, a slow week is annoying instead of scary.
How much should I set aside for taxes?
It depends on your situation. Many people start somewhere around 10 to 15 percent and adjust. A tax pro can tell you the right number for you.
What if I work at more than one place?
Log every shift on the same tab. It all counts toward the same week.
Do I need to link my bank?
No. You type in your shifts and your bills. Nothing connects to your bank, in the sheet or in the DistroFi app.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the file to your Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets.
A tips mode for DistroFi is on the way. I'm working on a version of the app built for people who get paid every shift. Want to know when it's ready, or have an idea for it?
Have a regular paycheck too?
DistroFi plans your money one paycheck at a time on your phone, free. It shows which check pays which bill and counts down to payday. No bank login, ever.
Try DistroFi freeNo account needed to try.
Paid on a set schedule? Use the free paycheck budget template instead.