Rolling Budget: Advantages and Disadvantages

Budgets list and quantify income sources and expenses expected during a defined time. The time can be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually — whatever makes sense for the situation. As an example, household budgets can be monthly to align with expenses like rent and utilities.

That said, the budgeting option will be more effective and financially savvy in the long run. Flexible budgets are created to adjust the allowable cost levels to meet the activity level. The budget creation follows cost analysis of the fixed and variable expenses so that the budget can be flexed accordingly. This type of budgeting is typically carried out to manage specific subdivisions of budgeting. In the case of static budgets, this is something that cannot be changed, and therefore, it tends to have a detrimental impact on the budgeting and planning process within the company. The main purpose of a rolling budget is to ensure that the volatility and changes in the overall business dynamic are accounted for in the planning process of the company.

Based on the analysis, Brad can then take his previously made six-month plan and revise the remaining months (February through June). Brad also adds an additional month, July, on the end of the plan to make it a complete six-month plan again. This process repeats itself at the end of each month, so at the end of February the March through July plans are revised and an August one is added. Conduct a thorough audit of your budget processes to make sure you’re giving rolling budgets the best shot to improve your business. When preparing an incremental budget, the goal is to make minimal changes each time you update it. Then you make smaller changes to existing departmental budgets based on new information and assumptions.

Adjust Your Budget Accordingly

In general, you can expect rolling budgets to be more time-consuming than annual budgets. This is especially true when you’re working with a lot of different stakeholders. So the more stakeholders you have, the longer it’ll take to prepare a budget.

If you don’t measure what you are making and spending, it’s virtually impossible to change and take charge of your financial future.
Once January 2023 has ended, you can immediately add January 2024 to your continuous budget.
When reporting to stakeholders, a rolling budget can provide more accurate and reliable financial projections, enhancing credibility and trust.

Once you’ve identified areas that need attention, it’s time to take action and revise your rolling budget. By doing so, you can make sure that your budget accurately reflects the current state of your business and prepares you for what’s next. With updated financial data and revised strategies, you’ll be better positioned to achieve your financial objectives and stay ahead of the competition. As with any business practice, rolling budgets have both advantages and disadvantages.

Accurate Representation of Financial State

Unlike traditional annual budgeting, rolling budgets are usually updated monthly or quarterly and projected 12, 18, or 24 months out. For example, a company’s 2023 annual budget will become a rolling budget if, in March 2023, it adds the budget for February 2024 (to replace the February 2023 budget). At this point, the rolling budget will cover all revenue, expenses, and profits from March 1, 2023, through February 29, 2024. It allows you to remain proactive, responding to changes in your financial landscape while always keeping an eye on the future.

How expense management with Ramp simplifies budget control

Consequently, it is best to adopt a leaner approach to a rolling budget, with fewer people involved in the process. In contrast, you continually update rolling budgets throughout the year to reflect the business’s actual performance. Since they’re not set in stone, rolling budgets can give a company more flexibility by providing regular opportunities to adjust based on real performance. Because you update rolling budgets more consistently, you need to collaborate with department leads more often to ensure department budgets are accurate. This collaboration also improves visibility across the organization, as leaders must provide updates or look into anything that may be wasteful.

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Rolling budgets may have a disadvantage of focusing on short-term planning, which can limit businesses’ long-term perspective. While short-term planning is important, businesses need to consider their long-term financial goals and objectives as well. It is crucial to strike a balance between short-term and long-term budget planning to ensure a comprehensive view.

Unfortunately, these constant changes can also be a catalyst for confusion and frustration among employees. If these changes add more responsibilities to any team leader’s plate, feelings of frustration might be apt to increase as well. Rolling budgets allow you to expand in line with revenue growth since you have up-to-date financial statements. You can easily adjust the budget and conduct scenario analysis to match market fluctuations, leverage new opportunities, and create realistic spending limits for the next year. So, if your organization is looking for an effective budget model that considers short-term market changes, creating a rolling budget can work effectively for you.

rolling budget definition

When the current period is over, the budgeting process begins again by creating a new plan for the next accounting period. The rolling budget model has a twelve-month budget period, created several times over the year on a quarterly or monthly balance sheet template basis. The main objective of this budget is to revise the plans, predict changes in the market, and create a plan for the upcoming months. The rollover budget also helps establish the benchmarks that the employees anticipate earning.

While it might require a bit more effort than a traditional static budget, the flexibility and accuracy it offers can be well worth the effort. Remember, the goal of any budgeting method, including a rolling budget, is to help you control your money, make informed financial decisions, and progress towards your financial goals. With a rolling budget, you’re not just planning for today, but also preparing for tomorrow, helping you navigate the often unpredictable journey of personal finance with confidence and foresight. For many modern businesses, competing in a complex and ever-changing global economy makes an annual budget set in stone a little too constricting.