How do you figure out what you can actually afford to spend before your next paycheck?

I’m curious about what people actually do when their bank balance doesn’t tell the whole story because bills, subscriptions, irregular expenses, or other obligations are still coming up.

Have you ever used or switched to a budgeting app, spreadsheet, bank feature, cash-flow tool, or anything else specifically because you wanted a clearer answer to “what can I safely spend right now?”

I’m especially interested in what you’ve actually tried, paid for, abandoned, or built for yourself.