For your budget, you'll need to estimate the likely expenses you'll incur to bring your proposal to fruition. Your expenses will mostly fall into three categories, and in most case, you can estimate costs easily from commercial sites:
- Office supplies and equipment: Staples, Office Depot, W.B. Mason.
- Computers and other tech hardware: Best Buy, Dell, Lenovo, HP.
- Wages and salaries: Occupational Outlook is a very useful, very detailed publication from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It covers hundreds of occupations, most jobs in the U.S. Each summary profile includes median pay. Make sure to click on pay in the summary to get a more detailed picture of pay across the occupation.
As your research evolves and you read your sources, you will gain a better understanding of what your proposal will cost. As the proposal develops, think broadly and creatively about potential costs beyond just wages and supplies. For example, for some proposals, you will need to budget for travel and marketing.
If you have questions:
- Email Tom Glynn at glynn@rutgers.edu or call him at 848-932-6105.
- Make an appointment to meet with Tom Glynn, in person or online.
- Chat with a librarian 24/7.