This foundational session demystifies the clinical trial budget for anyone new to the work. We will walk through the anatomy of a typical budget, including per-visit costs, procedure line items, invoiceable items, pass-through costs, startup and closeout fees, overhead, and holdback, and define the negotiation terminology. The session explains how the budget relates to the protocol, the coverage analysis, and the clinical trial agreement, and who is typically involved at each stage. The session highlights common misunderstandings and their consequences throughout. Attendees will leave able to read a budget with confidence and ask the right questions.