The Journal

Latest Posts

The 50/30/20 Rule Explained (With Free Calculator)

The simplest budgeting method there is: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings. Here's how it works, when it breaks, and how to adapt it to your income.

A calm, judgment-free guide to making your first budget — five steps, no spreadsheet skills required, and a free template to start this Sunday.

Save your first few hundred dollars in a month with a challenge that actually fits real life — plus a free printable tracker to color in as you go.

Sinking funds are how you stop 'surprise' expenses from wrecking your budget. What they are, how much to save, and 20 categories worth starting.

The two most popular debt payoff methods, compared with real numbers — and why the mathematically slower one often wins in practice.

A judgment-free list of 25 things most of us buy on autopilot — and what quitting each one is actually worth per year.