I. Love. This. App.
Three years and three months ago, at the age of 33, I came to the realization I was in financial crisis after a lifetime of suffering my own super-spendy, anxious-avoidant, totally uninformed money tendencies. I read a couple of finance books to finally learn the basic rules and then spent a week shopping for budgeting apps to help me shape up.
With other apps and methods, I found I would still overdraw my bank account because the list formats weren’t clear enough for me to understand the timings of my obligations.
But after a few years of CalendarBudget, I’m now the kind of person who loves talking about money, learning about money, and making plans for my financial future. It’s still shocking to me, but I’m now the kind of person who opens ALL my accounts and my CalendarBudget at least once a day so I can make sure everything is on track… because I’m now the kind of person who does daily budgeting to relax!
The first thing I did was pay off 9k of credit card debt (on $20,000 net income) during a pandemic. Then I assembled my first-ever emergency fund and a passel of sinking funds that have allowed me to take on several emergencies without breaking momentum or going back into debt.
In February I exceeded a zero net worth for the first time in my adult life. In three weeks I’ll be able to pay off my car four years early. In seven months I’ll have a fully-funded emergency fund, in a year I project I’ll be able to do a European river cruise and pay off my student loans, and in 2024 my projection says I’ll be able to max out my new IRA for the first time ever.
I’m a CalendarBudget evangelist. It is the best, simplest, easiest app on the market and I tell everyone I know about it.
Cash Flow is Everything
Cash Flow Above All
There are so many budgetting apps. Each with a unique UI or method to save your financial wellbeing. Each say they help, but this app is truly a life saver.
Zero-based budgeting apps (YNAB and EveryDollar) focus on giving each dollar a job. The problem, you are focused on the next paycheck. There is no future visablity of cash flows. You cannot see how spending an extra $200 on debt reduction in the current month will lower your available balance in December.
The calendar budget allows you to see future impacts to your current decisions. For example:
What happens if you spend $450 to repair your car today? If using another app, you’ll pull money from other budget categories, but you can’t see how this impacts your budget 2 months from now. With Calendar budget, you can.
TLDR
Calendar Budget is a cash flow budget system. You enter all reoccuring transactions and planned expenses, then you can see how extra spending will change your cash flow. It is cheaper than most budgeting apps (7.99mo/56yr), and they offer a 30 day trial.
5 stars.
Never Been So Excited To Be An Adult
I have never in my life been so excited to be an adult! With your calendar, I can see it all! I put in all my bills and all my accounts, which didn’t even take an hour! Now I have a clear picture of what I have. My savings are growing and I feel more like an adult than I ever did before! The best was when I could really show my husband exactly how much he spends on take out and for that, I am forever grateful! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Works Like A Dream
WOW. I AM STUNNED. I have been looking for this for ten years. I have been using a spreadsheet to do all of this, but it is very clunky and always difficult to use. CalendarBudget does ALL that I want, easily, simply and quickly. I spent a mere couple hours setting it up, and it all works like a dream.
Never ever thought I would say this…
…. about a budgeting software, but I love CalendarBudget! I was praying asking what I needed to do about concerns that were not strictly monetary and I got a simple answer that I needed to budget properly. Sorry, I wasn’t told specifically to use CalendarBudget (LOL), but about an hour later I thought of you and your app and I’ve been using it ever since. The calendar premise makes it so easy to see what is coming and when. I have so many things coming out of my account at different times I was living with this uneasy feeling all the time wondering if I forgot about something that was coming my way … that feeling is gone.
Highly Recommended
I just found this budgeting app and I LOVE it! The forecasting piece is hands down my favourite. I have tried Mint, YNAB, Excel Spreadsheets – nothing forecasts like this. I highly recommend!
Exactly How My Brain Works
Thank you for this service! This calendar is exactly how my brain works. Thank you for letting me customize and color code to my heart’s content. This keeps me on track and helps me dream about the future. Thank you, thank you!
Saved Me Countless Hours
Its saved me countless hours of stressing and wondering if I’ll have enough $ to cover this bill or that future goal, etc
Savings On Overdrafts Has Been Huge
Just the savings on overdrafts has been huge over the last 2 years because of CalendarBudget we have not had ANY. Also, late fees, because now I follow my CalendarBudget as to when to pay a bill and A) I can because I’m on budget, and B) it’s not late. And the sleep that I’ve gained from no longer worrying about money has been immeasurable.
No More Late Fees
I haven’t been hit with a single late fee since starting with CalendarBudget. And I think even more impactful is the fact that I have my finances projected out 5 years now. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries. All budgeted for!
Saved Nearly $17,000
I have my finances projected out to 2025 and I always know how much my bank account should have in it. CalendarBudget helped me organize my life and pay off my student loans way ahead of schedule, saving me nearly $17k.
We Save Hundreds A Month
We save hundreds a month! Most intentional with money we’ve ever been able to be!
No Longer Live Paycheck To Paycheck
We no longer live paycheck to paycheck and always know where our money is going! We spend far less frivolously and plan for larger purchases easily now!! Its so nice knowing all the bills will be paid with money left over for emergencies!!
Saved Me A Lifetime Of Frustration
It has saved me a lifetime of frustration. Out of no where, shortly after i created my [super complicated] excel book, CalendarBudget came up on my endless search and I almost cried honestly. Mostly because I was happy but some because I had spent so many hours creating almost the same thing on my own. With a growing family, its been ever so hard to keep up with things that need to be paid for and to be able to see it all in one shot, on a calendar. #Priceless. It really is ONE OF A KIND!
Now I Can Actually Save Money
I just wanted to thank you and let you know how much CalendarBudget has helped me. I lost my job 3 weeks ago because I had to have surgery and I’m going to be out of work for 3 months. I am a single mother, so I was really stressing out about not having enough money to survive. Since my income comes in every 2 weeks, it was always really hard for me to figure out what paychecks will pay what bills. I just needed an interactive calendar to help me. I searched the web for a budget planner tool and none of them had calendars! Finally, I found you and I couldn’t be happier. I was able to budget all the way to next year and I will have enough saved for a family vacation! Now, I can sleep at night knowing that my finances are in order and if I stay on budget I can actually SAVE money! You guys are the best! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
Gained A Sense Of Control Over My Finances
I want to thank you for building this tool and making it available to use. I have been struggling for nearly a decade to understand and keep a budget. Repeatedly, I would start with the best intentions but would inevitably get confused, frustrated, feel hopeless, alone and then give up. Since using CalendarBudget, I have slowly gained a sense of control over my own finances as well as a new sense of empowerment that has encouraged me to keep learning and keep building my financial security. A few months later, I still consistently use it, and now I have a plan to not only repair my finances but to thrive in them. It started with CalendarBudget. I can’t thank you enough.
Best Part Is Forecasting
I’ve been using CalendarBudget since June and I have come to depend on it. A lot. I can accurately estimate how much money I will need to get through the month. The absolute best part is forecasting because I can play around with when to pay bills (either right away or wait until the day they’re due) and see how each decision will impact my overall budget for the month. Once I’m happy about when to pay to what in relation to my income I then I can go to my bank to adjust/set payment dates. Love it! Love it! Love it!
I Feel In Charge
I’ve been using CalendarBudget for over a month now. I now have a budget surplus and I know exactly how much is coming in and going out on any given day. I found budgeting difficult in the past. This service has really changed my life. I feel so much more confident in handling my finances. I feel in charge!
Cross Platform Friendly
After months of searching for a replacement budget (after my Macbook died), that was cross-platform friendly I stumbled across CalendarBudget. I cannot believe how amazing this site is. I often have to move money around and it’s amazing that I can set single or repeating purchases and easily pull something out of repetition! This allows me to easily set a cushion amount and overwrite the entry with the correct one.
The Future Is No Longer Frightening
I’m a young student living alone, without any financial safety net like family or savings accounts. I’ve taken total charge of my finances. I’ve gone from “making ends meet” to setting aside extra money that will payoff debts and student loans in a very comfortable fashion. The future is no longer frightening for me, and I can take the next step into adulthood.
Could Not Manage My Finances Without It
I used to use a complicated Excel spreadsheet to track my cash flow. One mistake in a formula could throw off my forecast for an entire year. Now, with CalendarBudget, I simply download the transactions from my bank, upload them into CalendarBudget, and voila! This app is exactly what I was looking for – easy to use, easy to read and available wherever I have an internet connection. I could not manage my finances without it!
Wish I Had Found It Sooner
Just want to say that I absolutely LOVE CalendarBudget. It has changed my life. I only wish I had found it sooner. I love that I can see my money in the future. Most other software shows me what I have already spent my money on. That doesn’t help me to plan but this does. I am sharing this product with my family and friends.
I Love This
Just wanted to let you know how much I love this software. It is so helpful to see when money is going out / coming in versus just a list form of the budget each month. Very helpful – thank you!
It Has Changed My Life
I just wanted to say thank you so very much for creating this wonderful program! I have been looking high and low for a program just like this. It has changed my life. It has made budgeting so much more manageable and my fiances make so much more sense now. I am much more organized! Thank you! Thank you! I can’t explain how grateful I am for this!!!
What I Need In One Place
YNAB, Budget Tracker, etc… I’ve spent time on them all. This is what I need in one place.
Shows The Potential Of Your Money
I love this product, I recommend you to all of my friends and family. I think seeing finances this way really shows the potential of your money and all the ways you can make it work for you.
Truly Helps People Plan Ahead
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for creating a solution that truly helps people stay on track and plan ahead. There are countless other tools out there…trust me, I have tried them all and I found that CalendarBudget is the only one that actually allowed me to improve my finances.