Set a budget reserve for a campaign launch
Keep money available for known commitments and uncertain delivery.
Separate committed from flexible spend
From a $10,000 budget with $3,000 already spent, reserve $1,500 for a contracted placement and $500 for a final test. That leaves $5,000 of flexible spend, not $7,000.
Assign a purpose and release date
Give each reserve an owner and a condition for release. If the contracted placement is canceled, decide whether the funds return to the pacing budget or stay available for an equivalent replacement.
Avoid counting the same spend twice
When a reserved cost becomes actual spend, reduce the reserve and update actuals in the same review. Otherwise the remaining plan can look artificially tight.
Try a related tool
Divide remaining spend by the days left in a campaign. Adjust the daily figure for changes in expected demand.
