A new year, a new chance to start fresh. For many, that means laying out a budget .

But if the pandemic has taught us anything, its that even the best laid plans can be turned upside down. Your old budgeting habits may no longer make sense in the COVID-19 era.

So what should you do to ensure a financially successful 2021? We reached out to budgeting experts who shared their best tips for creating this years budget.

Be Realistic

Theres often a lot of pressure in the new year to set lofty goals and achieve them perfectly. But budgeting isnt about perfection; its a plan for your money that should change and adapt to your life.

Dont just create a budget create a realistic budget, said blogger Kumiko Love, aka The Budget Mom . Your budget should be created based on what you are actually spending, not what you want to spend.

Love explained that you need a clear foundation so you know where you are starting and where you want to go. Be honest when setting budget categories and goals.

By doing this, you will set yourself up to succeed in the beginning, she said.

Switch Up Your Method

Its OK to branch out and try new budgeting methods until you find something that sticks.

If you have tried a certain budgeting method in the past and failed, that does not mean you are a failure, Love said. It means your process failed you.

Make 2021 the year you try something new. For example, Love is a fan of the paycheck budget , which plans your spending around when you get paid rather than a whole month.

Tally Your Monthly Income

Once youre ready to sit down and craft your budget, the first step is to figure out how much money you have coming in. And in light of the pandemic, that number may be much different than in years past.

Many households experienced a fluctuation of their monthly income during the pandemic, due to stimulus payments and/or layoffs, said Lauren Maxwell, assistant vice president at Trustco Bank .

Youll want to consider any unemployment benefits, stimulus payments , business grants and other relief when tallying your income, along with regular paychecks. However, its also important to note when those income streams will dry up and account for income fluctuations later in the year.

Identify Essential Expenses

You also need to figure out your essential expenses, such as housing, insurance, utilities, food, transportation, health care, debt payments and child care. These types of expenses can be cut down if needed, but they cant be eliminated from your budget.

Maxwell said there are several pandemic-related factors youll need to consider when adding up these expenses.

For example, if you had a mortgage or student loan placed in deferment, youll need to add that payment back into your budget. If you paused your 401(k) contributions to free up cash flow, this is a vital item to include in your post-pandemic budget. And if you dipped into your emergency fund , youll need to include a line item in your budget to build it back up. Experts now suggest saving beyond the previously recommended three to six months worth of expenses, given the unpredictability of the job market.