StartupCostCheck Glossary
What is Personal burn?
Personal burn is the minimum monthly amount your household needs while you start the business, kept separate from the company's operating costs.
Why it matters
Your business can survive on paper while your household runs short of cash. Personal burn captures the rent, food, utilities, debt payments and other essentials that continue before sales become reliable. Keeping it visible prevents business spending from quietly consuming money needed at home.
How to use it
- Start with essential household spending from recent months.
- Remove optional purchases you could pause temporarily.
- Keep personal burn separate from business monthly burn.
- Check how long personal savings cover this amount.
StartupCostCheck lets you assess the business plan without hiding the pressure on your household. Use the free check to see whether the timing fits both sets of costs.
Short definitions of the money words behind a safe business start: runway, burn, risk budget, what to buy now and what to delay.
Check my startup runway