Learn Hardcore Japanese: kyuuryou ga haittara, mazu syokuhi wo daitai kimete, nokori wo tyokinsuru. - When my salary comes in, I roughly set the food budget first and save the rest.

In たら conditionals, the verb takes the past/plain form to mark a completed event that serves as the condition. 給料が入ったら means “when/after the salary has come in,” referring to a future time after that event occurs. It’s not past-time; it’s “once X has happened.”

Could I use と instead of たら (給料が入ると)?

You can, but nuance differs. と often describes a general rule or automatic result (“whenever X, then Y”), while たら fits a one-time or step-by-step sequence (“after X happens, do Y”). For a budgeting routine, both can work; たら feels more like “after payday, then I do this.”

Why is が used with 給料 in 給料が入る? Can I use に or を?

入る takes the thing that enters as the subject with が. So 給料が入る = “the salary comes in.” If you mention the destination, use に: 口座に給料が入る (“salary is deposited into the account”). を is not used here.

What does 入る mean with money? Isn’t it “to enter”?

With money, 入る means “to be credited/come in (be deposited).” Related expressions: 入金される (be deposited, formal), 振り込まれる (be transferred), 給料が出る (salary is issued), 給料をもらう (to receive salary, speaker-focused).

Who is the subject here? Where is “I”?

Japanese often omits the subject. Here it’s understood from context (likely “I”). You can make it explicit with 私は if needed: 私は給料が入ったら、… .

What does まず do, and where should it go?

まず means “first (of all).” Place it before the first action you take: まず食費をだいたい決めて… You can also say まずは (slightly softer) and then follow with それから/次に for later steps.

Does だいたい modify 食費 or 決める? Why no particle on だいたい?

だいたい is an adverb here modifying 決めて/決める: “decide roughly.” Adverbs don’t take particles. If you want it as a modifier for a noun, use 大体の: 大体の金額を決める (“decide an approximate amount”). Don’t say だいたいを決める or だいたいに決める in this sense.

Is 食費を決める natural? Should it be 食費の予算を決める?

食費を決める is natural shorthand for “decide the food budget (amount).” To be explicit you can say 食費の予算を決める or 食費にいくら使うか決める. All are common.

What does the ～て in 決めて do? Why not それから?

The て-form links actions in sequence: “decide … and then save ….” It’s a simple chronological connection. You could add それから after the comma for emphasis, or use ～てから to make the order explicit: 食費をだいたい決めてから、残りを貯金する.

What’s the nuance of 残り vs 余り?

残り (のこり) = “the remainder/the rest” (neutral; time, money, items). 余り (あまり) can feel like “what’s left over” after use, or appears in math. Here 残り is the most natural. 余ったお金は貯金する also works.

Why 残りを貯金する and not 残りは貯金する?

Both are fine. 残りを marks it simply as the object (“save the rest”). 残りは topicalizes/contrasts (“as for the rest, I save it”), which can emphasize a policy or contrast with something else.

貯金する vs 貯める vs 貯蓄する—differences?

貯金する: save money (often implies putting money aside, e.g., in a bank). Very common.
貯める: general “to accumulate/save up” (money, points, etc.). For money, お金を貯める is natural.
貯蓄する: more formal “to accumulate savings/assets.” All are correct; in daily speech 貯金する and お金を貯める are most common.

Why is the main verb plain (する)? When would I use します?

Plain form states habits/policies and is common in casual writing or self-talk. Use polite form when speaking politely: 給料が入ったら、まず食費をだいたい決めて、残りを貯金します. Don’t mix plain and polite without a reason.

Is present する talking about the future here?

Yes—Japanese plain present often expresses habitual or scheduled future actions. This sentence reads as a general budgeting rule. To stress intention, you could use 貯金するつもりだ or 貯金しようと思う.

Are the spaces normal? What about the comma?

Native Japanese writing doesn’t use spaces between words; textbooks add them for learners. The Japanese comma 、 is standard. A native-style version would be: 給料が入ったら、まず食費をだいたい決めて、残りを貯金する。

Other ways to say “as soon as the salary comes in”?

給料が入り次第、… (formal; “as soon as …”)
給料が入ったらすぐ、… (“right after …”)
給料日になったら、… (“when it’s payday”)
給料をもらったら、… (“when I receive my salary”)

Why 食費を and not 食費に here?

決める takes the direct object with を (“decide something”). ～にする is a different pattern meaning “choose/make X (as your choice),” e.g., Aにする. Here you’re deciding the food budget, so 食費を決める is correct.

How do you read the key words? And is 大体 written in kanji?

給料: きゅうりょう
入ったら (入る): はいったら (はいる)
まず: まず
食費: しょくひ
だいたい/大体: だいたい (both spellings are used; kana is common for the adverb)
決めて/決める: きめて／きめる
残り: のこり
貯金する: ちょきんする