Like your GF, I also get paid every other week, which leads to two 3-paycheck months a year (July being one of them). I also work freelance writing gigs, but I just can’t count on that income coming in on a regular basis. When we bought our home, we didn’t factor in any ‘extra’ money when we laid out a budget.
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I just got off the phone with a guy who bought a truck assuming that he has a side job coming through that would generate enough income to make the payments. He counted the chicken; the job fell through in the 11th hour and he was left holding the bag.

The counting of chickens before they hatch strikes everyone, but I think it strikes high-income earners more than most. I’ve met with a lot of folks in the past year who make solid six figure incomes that are based substantially on commissions and bonuses. During boom time, they created a lifestyle that relied on that income. In the bust, their lifestyle is now the bane of their existence.

Great idea on planning for a conservative income, allowing the oppotunity for additional income to be diverted to savings. But building a game plan on shifting sand (like volatile income) is like building a house of cards.
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