Month: --
Savings: $0
Account: $0
Best: --

First Paycheck

Burrito just started a first job: $2,000 a month after tax, and no savings yet. Split each paycheck into five envelopes, then survive what the month throws at you. Six months.

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First Paycheck

Six months in a first job, $2,000 a month and no savings yet. Split each paycheck into Rent, Food, Transport, Fun and Savings, then face the month's surprise: a broken phone, a friend's wedding, a bonus, a rent rise.

6 months
Budgeting

How to play

Split the paycheck. Give every dollar a job across five envelopes, with the sliders or the − / + buttons.
Pay the bills. Money left in an envelope goes to savings. A short envelope is paid from your emergency fund.
Face the surprise. No fund to cover it? The account goes into the red and pays an overdraft fee.
Score. Your savings, plus points for low stress, plus 500 if you never go into the red.

Quick tips

Pay yourself first. Put money in Savings on payday, before the month gets a chance to spend it.
Plan for the high end. Food and transport vary. Budget the top of the range; the leftover goes to savings anyway.

3 more tips in the First Paycheck guide →