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#470 - added section on Pay Yourself First strategy #473

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38 changes: 30 additions & 8 deletions docs/getting-started/envelope-budgeting.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -65,17 +65,41 @@ are going, make changes. If you're happy, great! Keep budgeting to keep track of

A more detailed breakdown of how budgeting in Actual works is provided in the [budgeting page](/docs/budgeting/).

### Credit Cards
If you currently are carrying credit card debt in an on budget account you will need to capture that debt in a category.
A guide on how to handle that can be found in [the credit card guide](/docs/budgeting/credit-cards/).

### The Month Ahead Method
### The Month Ahead Strategy
It can be hard to know where to budget your funds when you get paid in the middle of the month, or get multiple
paychecks per month. One way to handle this is called the *month ahead* method. This consists of holding everything
you make this month and only budgeting it next month. The goal is to not need any of this month's income for this
month's bills, but pay all of this month's bills with last month's income. Actual makes this easy by allowing you
to hold your available funds for the next month by clicking the To Budget amount at the top of the budgeting screen
and selecting the "Hold for next month" option. You can read more about this on the budgeting page
and selecting the *Hold for next month* option. You can read more about this on [the budgeting page](/docs/budgeting/).

For example, if you make € 3,000 this month, instead of spending it on this month's bills, you save it and use it to
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@matt-fidd matt-fidd Nov 3, 2024

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We should probably keep to $ as the currency of choice in the docs, just to standardise.

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are we consistent other places?

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AFAIK we are not consistent in other places.

I see the point of being consistent here :-)

I'll fix this and also go through the rest of the documentation to see if this is an issue other places.

cover next month's expenses. Most people cannot achieve this in one month, so the way forward is to build up a
buffer. Instead of aiming to save the full € 3,000 in one go, begin by setting aside a smaller amount each month.
For example, if you can set aside € 200 each month, gradually build your buffer over several months. As you save
more, you’ll start to pay some of next month’s bills with this reserve.

You can also read about this strategy in [one of our blog posts](/blog/2023-12-15-automate-your-budget-with-goal-templates).


### Pay-Yourself-First Strategy
The Pay-Yourself-First strategy focuses on saving a portion of your income before spending on anything else.
By making savings the top priority, this approach helps individuals build financial stability and prepare for unexpected
events. Automating savings, such as setting up automatic transfers, ensures consistency and reduces the temptation
to overspend. The strategy also encourages a balanced approach, addressing both immediate needs and long-term
financial security. Actual has functionality for [Schedules](/docs/schedules)
and [Budget Goal Templates](/docs/experimental/goal-templates#goal-directive) that can help you with this strategy.

For example, if you earn € 3,000 a month, you might decide to save 20%, or € 600, as soon as you receive your paycheck.
You set up an automatic transfer to move this amount into a savings account, ensuring it is set aside before you
pay any bills or make purchases. The remaining € 2,400 is then available to cover your living expenses, such as rent,
utilities, groceries, and entertainment. This method guarantees that your savings goal is consistently met without
having to rely on what’s left at the end of the month.


### Credit Cards
If you currently are carrying credit card debt in an on budget account you will need to capture that debt in a category.
A guide on how to handle that can be found in [the credit card guide](/docs/budgeting/credit-cards/).

### Shared accounts
We have a guide on what to do when it comes to [strategies for handling joint accounts](/docs/budgeting/joint-accounts).
Expand All @@ -84,8 +108,6 @@ We have a guide on what to do when it comes to [strategies for handling joint ac
You can read more about these in the [returns and reimbursements guides](/docs/budgeting/returns-and-reimbursements).




## How to set up and use an envelope system with Actual Budget

Learning to budget using Actual Budget is straightforward, even
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