The next level
The full process
The Simple Start — a Reality Check, then one paycheck plan per month — is where everyone begins, and it's enough for a while. The full process is what you add once that feels routine: long-term savings (money you leave alone for more than two years), must-pay sinking funds and optional sinking funds, on top of the same P1, P2 and P3 priorities.
The three priorities
P1 = Priority 1Must be ready on time — groceries, scheduled bills, yearly commitments.
P2 = Priority 2Must-pay sinking funds — vet bills, repairs, medications. Saved for ahead of time.
P3 = Priority 3Flex spending — your allowance. Spend it without guilt.
What the full process adds
Nothing here replaces the Simple Start. Each one sits between your P1 bills and your flexible spending.
Long-term savings & investments
A steady contribution to money you'll leave alone for more than two years.
- Long-term means more than two years — retirement, a deposit that's years out. Money you'll need sooner is a sinking fund, not a long-term goal.
- Start from a default of 10% of income, or set your own monthly amount.
- Split that amount across goals by share; pre-tax goals come out of the paycheck itself, so the rest of the plan uses what's actually left.
Must-pay sinking funds (Priority 2)
Irregular costs you must pay — the same list as Priority 2, planned on the month's Must-pay sinking funds tab.
- Each cost divided by the months you have to save for it: a $1,200 repair every 12 months is $100 a month.
- Only categories you know you don't splurge on — repairs, healthcare, vet bills.
- Unspent money stays in the account for the next one, so the cushion grows instead of resetting.
Optional sinking funds
The things you'd like to buy, saved for on purpose.
- Recurring funds: cost per cycle divided by the months in that cycle — a family vacation every three years, for example.
- One-time funds: target minus what you've saved, divided by the months until the due date.
- Each fund shows whether it's funded, still saving, or missing a due date.
Flexible spending is what's left afterward: take-home income minus P1, minus investments, minus sinking funds. If that number goes negative, the plan is asking for more than the income can give — the same honesty the Reality Check asks for, with more going in.
One account per priority
Separate accounts keep each priority's money where it belongs. One Buffer debit card handles everyday purchases.
- P1 GroceriesReimburse Buffer for grocery purchases.
- P1 MonthlyBills debit this account directly. Never reimburse Buffer from it.
- P1 YearlyYearly bills debit this account directly. Never reimburse Buffer from it.
- Must-pay sinking funds (P2)Reimburse Buffer for irregular must-pays, such as car repairs or a vet visit. This is the Priority 2 account.
- Longterm SavingsMoney reserved for long-term goals and investments.
- Optional Sinking FundsReimburse Buffer for planned optional purchases, recurring or one-time.
- P3 Flexible SpendingReimburse Buffer for flexible, discretionary purchases.
- Buffer checkingYour debit card lives here. Keep a small cash cushion so a purchase clears before you reimburse.
The routine
The same three steps every payday, plus one habit for everyday purchases.
Plan
Set the month and your income. Plan P1 bills, must-pay sinking funds, optional sinking funds and investments before anything is spent.
Fund
Clear the warnings, then follow the transfer schedule: groceries, bills, savings and funds each get their share.
Reconcile
Reimburse Buffer, record closing balances, and note anything one priority borrowed from another.
Everyday purchases: check which category the cost belongs to, pay from Buffer, then reimburse that category promptly. A $60 grocery run becomes a $60 transfer from P1 Groceries to Buffer — so the grocery account always tells you the truth.