Budgeting is not about saving. It’s about getting more.
Spreadsheets, apps or paper, it’s all the same thing. Budgeting’s “answer” to every problem is to stop eating out and drinking lattes. Budgeting makes us give up the things we love, feel guilty and become so stressed out that we can’t sleep*. Let’s be perfectly honest. This is not your fault. It’s a bad system. It’s the budget. Budgeting is broken.
It’s not your fault. Budgeting is broken.
How do people budget?
Do you know how most people budget? They do nothing. They don’t budget at all.
The people that do budget are probably using a spreadsheet. The truth is that spreadsheets and apps are all the same. They use a budgeting system called the Envelope System, which was literally invented in the 1800s.* This is before planes, cars, trains and even bikes were ever invented. So why are we still budgeting like it’s the 1800s?
Very few apps use a different system called Zero-based system, invented in 1970. But that’s still pre-computers, pre-internet, when everything was cash and the few who had credit cards didn’t have the magnetic stripe on the back.*
Budgets can’t deal with normal things that happen to us everyday. We just want some stability and the freedom for fun things that make us happy.
Budgeting should give us stability and freedom.
Time to get fiskal
We don’t need a budget. We need an anti-budget.
We need our money to help us with everyday life.
We need our money to adapt when life changes beneath our feet.
We need our money to stop guilting us.
We need to easily know what’s ok and what’s not.
We simply want to enjoy today and earn a better tomorrow.
It’s time for an anti-budget. It’s time to get fiskal.
Your Spending Pace brings peace of mind
Fiskal is a new app that connects to all of your bank accounts and cards to help you manage your money better. It even works without a bank if you want. Best of all, an anti-budget adapts with your life. When life gets crazy, we get fiskal.
Good budgeting isn’t as hard as you were always told. You can save more by spending better. It all comes down to one number, your Spending Pace.
Your Fiskal Spending Pace is any money you have to spend today after bills and savings. Someone who has $900 a month, after bills and savings, would have a Fiskal Spending Pace of $30 a day ($900 / 30 days) .
When you spend, Fiskal automatically updates to show you what’s left today.
When you don’t spend it all, it will rollover to tomorrow. Watch your Rollover grow and spend (or save) it when you want to. If some great plans come up for the weekend, go ahead and enjoy a great weekend. Enjoy living for today knowing that your pay bills and savings are already done.
Don’t worry if one day you spend too much. It happens to everyone. It’s perfectly normal. Your Spending Pace will just slowdown slightly to get back on track.
There’s also a Weekly Spending Pace. This is great for Weekenders, people who don’t spend a lot during the week but love the weekend. Track what’s a good pace for today and look forward to an epic weekend!
The secret to budgeting is that it’s not about guilt. It’s not about giving up things. And it’s never been about saving. It’s about having a good life today and better life tomorrow.
Live for the journey, not the destination
Mastering your money should be simple and effortless. Fiskal is just getting started to help you on that journey. Fiskal’s emergency funds and saving feature is just around the corner. We’ve also got a special new feature that will finally make budgeting fun.
Sign up for early access at www.getfiskal.com. If the queue is long you can always get bumped up by tweeting at @getfiskal. Or for the more personal route email us at hello@getfiskal.com.
* Six in ten people lose sleep over money. In fact people lose sleep over money more than work, relationships or anything else.
** Envelopes were invested in 1846. The Envelope system used jars before switching to envelopes.
*** IBM invented the magnetic stripe and launched them on the first credit cards in 1971.
