Do any of you use Everydollar.com by Dave Ramsey?

[awakenedsoul]

I've been listening to Dave Ramsey's podcasts while I do my cooking, baking, and housework. He's always talking about his new budgeting tool, Everydollar.com. It's free. I'm going to check it out. I usually just tally up what I've spent each month. Are any of you using it? If so, how do you like it?

[lessisbest]

I've used a zero-based budget for decades - long before I listened to Dave Ramsey. The old "every dollar gets a name (or job)" so to speak.

Now that we are debt free, I give myself a little more latitude, although good habits still prevail.

-I still have a cash food budget ($125.00/month for 2 adults).

-I have a tally on bi-annual and annual expenses (home insurance, vehicle insurance/taxes/tag, etc.) and divide that amount by 12-months and deposit a specific amount each month to cover those expenses (it's been "seeded" with approximately that amount, so I've got it covered for a year + as a back-up plan).

-We have our emergency fund of 6-months of expenses.

-I have a couple other little money-saving methods to cover Christmas and "little" emergencies. The Christmas/Emergency Savings is funded with any "found" money (rebates, recycling metal, garage sale...), with money I save by cutting my own hair @ $20/month ($240/year), and I save my $1 bills and deposit it monthly. Another little savings account I add to is called the 52 week savings challenge. The first week of the year you save $1. Week two, $2, etc.... Week 52 - $52 - for a total of $1,378.

-I practice home food storage, and that is another way to save money on food.

-Our budget for the last few years has been based on hubby's proposed future Social Security Check amount (we're 62 and 63) so we live on much less than we make now. My Social Security will probably go towards health care.

Anyway, it worked for us. Just be sure to expect a lot of trial and error - it takes 3-6 months to get it going smoothly. Don't be discouraged ;)

[catherine]

I used to use Dave's budget tool on his website, but then I got into YNAB, and I like that better.

[rosarugosa]

This thread prompted me to pull up a couple of Dave talks on YouTube. I honestly expected to loathe him, but i was pleasantly surprised. I prefer my financial philosophy sans scripture, but he said a lot of good stuff, so I'll give credit where it's due and acknowledge that he is adding value in the personal finance arena. For some people the religious element might add value, but it's just not for me.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for the replies. I just started plugging in my numbers. It's neat, because it does the work for you. It automatically subtracts your expenses from the monthly amount you decide to spend. I like it.

I've been debt free for almost four years, but had been writing down what I spent on paper. Doing it on the computer is kind of fun. It's fast. I've always liked his formulas. They worked so quickly for me.

[Tradd]

I tried out EveryDollar, but my complaint is that you have to set up the original budget on a regular computer and there isn't an iPad version. The website doesn't work in iPad. There's an iPhone app, but only for on the go adding of spending. I don't budget per month. I've always budgeted per paycheck (twice per month), and so the monthly thing really doesn't work for me.

[awakenedsoul]

That's true. I have an older computer in my cottage, and I set it up on that. It's really making budgeting easier for me. I just plug in the numbers, and I see exactly how much money I have left for the rest of the month.

[Float On]

It is very new (maybe 6 or 8 weeks old) and since it's free, they are adding features as they can. I guess the only thing you pay for is if you want to link to your bank.
So for free, it can't be bad. I haven't looked yet but all the talk on his radio show is about how simple it is.

[Gardnr]

-I still have a cash food budget ($125.00/month for 2 adults).

;)

$125 for 2 people? What do you eat? Can you share a meal plan? I am in AWE of this:help:

[lessisbest]

$125 for 2 people? What do you eat? Can you share a meal plan? I am in AWE of this:help:

I happen to live where the cost of living is fairly low and food prices are reasonable, and that helps a bunch. In 2007, during the economic turndown, I had a $200/month food budget and I went into full food storage mode to build enough food for a year. I followed the information on-line from the LDS Church and built 3-levels of home food storage (#1 - 72-hour Emergency Food; #2 - 6-12 months of pantry foods; #3 - long-term emergency food storage), and it took me 18-months to complete. Home food storage is the key to my $125/month food budget. I shop at home, literally, and rotate stored food from the storage room in the basement to the kitchen/pantry. This way I rarely pay retail prices for food. Everything goes on sale sooner or later, and I purchase it when it's at stock-up, rock-bottom, prices. About 75-80% of my food dollars are spent on replenishing the food storage, and the remaining for fresh food.

Each day I follow the old Basic-4:
-Bread & Cereal - 4-servings
-Fruit & Vegetable - 4 (or more) servings
-Meat or High-protein alternative - 2 servings
-Dairy or alternative - 2 servings
We also have a serving of nuts each day.

Meal Plan:
Monday- BIG Meal
Large cut of meat with all the trimmings. Meat used for sandwiches, leftovers, some for the freezer, carcass for making soup/stock.

Tuesday- Leftovers or Sandwiches
Leftovers may or may not take on a different look. Leftovers may be found in the refrigerator or freezer.

Wednesday- Stir-fry
Good use for any kind of meat, vegetables, leftover rice or beans.

Thursday- International
Usually something with pasta or a tortilla.

Friday- Vegetarian

Saturday- Soup and/or Sandwich
"Sandwich" can mean a lot of things, including bbq hot dogs/hamburgers, sloppy joes, quesadillas, lettuce wrap.....

Sunday- Homemade Pizza or in summer we eat a large dinner salad.
A good way to use small amounts of leftovers and clear out the veggie drawer.

[awakenedsoul]

The more I use everydollar.com, the more I like it. I'm in the habit now of keeping my receipts in my wallet, and entering the totals into the categories when I get home. This month I spent a lot on my dogs. I had to buy more of their flea and tick medicine, and one of my dogs needed to see the vet. I've also got money set aside for a pet sitter during my trip. I've been able to spend a lot less on food this month. There's plenty of variety in my stockpile, and I've been buying fruit dirt cheap at Vallarta. It's really helping me to know exactly where I am with my budget, each day. I think I may be able to start living on $1,000. a month, if I stay disciplined.

[ToomuchStuff]

This thread prompted me to pull up a couple of Dave talks on YouTube. I honestly expected to loathe him, but i was pleasantly surprised. I prefer my financial philosophy sans scripture, but he said a lot of good stuff, so I'll give credit where it's due and acknowledge that he is adding value in the personal finance arena. For some people the religious element might add value, but it's just not for me.

The whole religious thing is what annoys me, and I once asked if they provided any classes at non religious institutions. (not the only one who feels this way) It subtracts value.


I tried out EveryDollar, but my complaint is that you have to set up the original budget on a regular computer and there isn't an iPad version. The website doesn't work in iPad. There's an iPhone app, but only for on the go adding of spending. I don't budget per month. I've always budgeted per paycheck (twice per month), and so the monthly thing really doesn't work for me.

For a website to NOT work on an IPAD, makes me wonder what it uses, and why isn't it a standards based site? May have issues with my choice of OS, then, not to mention having issues with personal information being out there on the net (security verses others being allowed access for marketing, etc).

[awakenedsoul]

[QUOTE=ToomuchStuff;206443]The whole religious thing is what annoys me, and I once asked if they provided any classes at non religious institutions. (not the only one who feels this way) It subtracts value.

The everydollar.com doesn't have any of the religion. It's just a budgeting tool. Since I still use a home computer, it works for me. Most people seem do seem to use ipads now, though. ( I think they were developing this system before ipads become so popular.) I have a used mini ipad, but I still like sitting at my desk, looking out at my garden, and typing on a keyboard.

I don't listen for the religious lessons. I like to hear how he applies his formulas to each family's personal finances. I didn't take Financial Peace University, I just checked out The Total Money Makeover from the library. It got me out of debt very quickly. The everydollar.com is helping me so spend less and save more. I was just curious if anyone else here is using it. My understanding is that YNAB has a fee. I like that everydollar is free.

[Tradd]

Well, the IPad issue seems to be resolved. I was able to work on a budget just fine a few minutes ago. Maybe they resolved the problems I had at the beginning. Then graphics would be elsewhere on the screen than on the computer, would float in weird places if you know what I mean.

[awakenedsoul]

Really? You can do it on an ipad now? That's good news. I thought you had to set it up on our regular computer and then download the free app to your iphone. Let us know how you like it. I thought there would be more people here using it. I just listened to his podcast while I was knitting. He said there are almost half a million people signed up now. I wonder where they are...(?)

[Tiam]

I always wonder about the food storage way of doing things. I just don't have a lot of stuff in store that I use regularly enough to make that work. But if I did, I still wonder if I could make it work.