A Budgeting method for people who have failed at budgeting.
There is a reason you have probably struggled with budgeting in the past.
You aren't alone -almost everyone does! And It isn’t your fault.
The sad truth is that almost every budgeting tool or software available is missing a crucial element that I have found makes all the difference between succeeding with your budget and moving toward your financial goals or failing with your budget and continuing to slide backwards financially.
The sad truth is that almost every budgeting tool or software available is missing a crucial element that I have found makes all the difference between succeeding with your budget and moving toward your financial goals or failing with your budget and continuing to slide backwards financially.
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All the budgeting methods have failed me
Name the budgeting method, I have tried it. Nothing worked for us until we created and started using the Real Money budgeting method. The key difference over every other budgeting software, system, or tool is that it is using REAL money. Not abstract numbers that tell me I have $x available, but my bank account showing something different.
Over the last 12 years of helping thousands of readers with their own budgets, I have learned that this issue of budgeting with "fake money" is the reason so many fail with budgeting. It isn't a lack of discipline, it is just that the system that most people are using doesn't work very well.
The easiest & most effective budgeting method
(Other than the envelope system)
The envelope system is the best. If you can do that, go do it. It is the easiest and most effective budgeting method by far. But if you aren’t able to pay every bill or buy everything with cash and need the convenience of a debit card, then you are going to love Real Money Budgeting.
It takes the ease and simplicity of the envelope system and pairs it with the convenience of a debit card.
The answer is to use REAL Money
Many budgeting tools and software have attempted to mimic the envelope system, but where they have missed it - and most importantly, the reason that very few people actually succeed with their budgets - is because they aren’t dealing with real money.
Sure, they may sync your transactions with your bank (when the connection works) and you may have an overwhelming amount of financial data at your fingertips, but when it comes down to it, the numbers on the screen aren’t directly tied to your bank account. They can be and almost certainly will be manipulated by you or I as we inevitably get a little lax or lazy. And sadly that is the downfall of so many who use budgeting tools like this.
On the other hand, when you are using the Real Money Budgeting System, there is accountability built-in, because the numbers you see are literally the amounts you have in your bank account. Just like the envelope system, in order to add $20 to your entertainment envelope, you have to pull $20 from your groceries envelope.
You can’t fake it. And when you spend in one category, it literally pulls money from your bank so there is no “cheating” the system like most people do with fake money budgeting software and tools.
Lauren saved $800 her first month budgeting
Yes, Lauren works for us. As her boss, I encouraged/forced her to begin budgeting and to let me know what kind of results she got. We were both blown away to see that after her 1st month of budgeting, she spent $800 LESS than the previous month.
How the method actually works
Put very simply, it is just like the envelope system, but with the convenience of a debit card. It works like this:
1. You open a checking account at Capital One 360, while keeping your current checking account (more on why in the FAQs below).
2. You open multiple savings accounts there as well. Those savings accounts become your budgeting categories.
3. At the beginning of the month, you fill those savings accounts with amount budgeted for each.
4. As you spend using your debit card you transfer funds from the categories (savings accounts) to cover the spending.
In the course we cover all the details of how to make this system work for you by using our 2 checking account method (one your current account and the other at Cap360), how to set up the system in a way that works and will save you time, and how to optimize your budget in a way that you can be sure you will stick with it.
1. You open a checking account at Capital One 360, while keeping your current checking account (more on why in the FAQs below).
2. You open multiple savings accounts there as well. Those savings accounts become your budgeting categories.
3. At the beginning of the month, you fill those savings accounts with amount budgeted for each.
4. As you spend using your debit card you transfer funds from the categories (savings accounts) to cover the spending.
In the course we cover all the details of how to make this system work for you by using our 2 checking account method (one your current account and the other at Cap360), how to set up the system in a way that works and will save you time, and how to optimize your budget in a way that you can be sure you will stick with it.
About the course
The RMB course is a online course that contains 14 video lessons that you can watch in less than 45 minutes. You can watch the videos at your own pace and work at whatever schedule works best for you.
It also comes with over $50 of bonuses to help you get results faster.
It also comes with over $50 of bonuses to help you get results faster.
Course curriculum
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1
Welcome to the course!
- Before we begin...
- The Problem with Budgeting Tools
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2
The Real Money Budgeting System
- Overview of the Real Money Budgeting System
- How to quickly tell where your money has been going
- Let's tell your money where to go
- What to do if you have inconsistent income
- Why Capital One 360?
- Getting started with your accounts
- How to define the right number of budgeting categories
- Set up your budgeting categories
- Putting all the pieces together - how this works in real life
- Do you make a lot of purchases? Watch this.
- What to expect in the first month
- How to optimize your BILLS account
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3
Extras
- Why we use separate spending money accounts
- Consider adding in sinking funds
- What to do if you go over 6 withdrawals
- The Bill Pay Spreadsheet Process
- My 3-step process to saving up to 50% on all my purchases
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4
Next steps
- What questions do you have?
What's included?
The Real Money Budgeting course consists of 14-core video training lessons that will guide you through the step-by-step process of getting the system working for you. In addition, we have included over $50 of great bonuses as well:
My Bill Pay System (and Training)
$19 value
This is the exact system I have used for over a decade to pay my bills each month. The system and corresponding spreadsheet (included) have saved me hours every month and virtually guarantee that you'll never have a late payment again.
My 3-step system to save up to 50% on all my purchases
$19 value
This bonus training covers the system that I have used to save up to 50% on purchases that I make. It is painless, simple, and will effortlessly save most students hundreds each year.
The SeedTime Budgeting Spreadsheet and Worksheet
$14 value
This spreadsheet/worksheet is one of the easiest ways to tweak and refine your budget whenever major financial changes take place. The RMB method doesn't require the use of a spreadsheet, but it makes it easier to balance your budget when starting out.
The Real Money Budgeting Course
Includes 14-lesson RMB online video course, Bonus Bill-Pay Spreadsheet and training, "My 3-step system to save up to 50% on all my purchases" training, Budgeting spreadsheet & worksheet, master checklist, and more!
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Enroll in the course now!
$47.00
1 payment (Save $7)
-
Enroll in the course now!
2 x $27.00
2 monthly payments
Get 2 months of budgeting consulting
-
Enroll in the course now!
$65.00
$65.00Real Money Budgeting + 2 months email consulting
2 Months of unlimited email consulting with Bob or someone from the SeedTime team who actually uses the Real Money Budgeting method themselves. Consider it like a budgeting mentor who you can ask questions to any time!
Up To $40 Rebate Available
Wait, What?!
In the course, we recommend using two separate, FREE services (Personal Capital and Capital One 360) to help you get results faster. We are partners with each of these services and they graciously offer $20 bonuses for signing up for a FREE account (with our partner link).
So if you are new to both, you could get up to $40 back. So not only are you going to get all the financial benefit of having a budget that works but you also just might be able to do it for the price of a Starbuck's coffee!
So if you are new to both, you could get up to $40 back. So not only are you going to get all the financial benefit of having a budget that works but you also just might be able to do it for the price of a Starbuck's coffee!
Renae has seen great results
Renae implemented the system that we recommend and she said it "worked so well for my husband and I that I have turned around and shared with my kids and friends...those who follow through and structure their accounts like that come back to me months later and say, 'I can’t believe how this works!'"
So, what is "Fake Money" Budgeting?
Because the envelope budgeting system is so effective, many budgeting tools have attempted to create “virtual envelopes” that you budget with. This seems like such a good idea in theory. But if you have ever tried it you will know what I mean when I say that it just doesn’t work over the long haul.
Over my last 12 years of helping people budget effectively, I can’t even tell you how many of these tools I have tried. I am a nerd of nerds when it comes to stuff like this and yet I still found my own personal budget slowly become a mess every 6 months or so to the point that I had to start all over. And it was all because they deal with fake money and not real money.
Budgeting without cheating
Think about it like this - when you are driving your car, how often do you drift into the guardrail? Hopefully, the answer is never, or VERY rarely!
And why don’t you?
Because it will almost certainly cause damage to your car. You probably wouldn’t fly off the cliff if you slowly drifted into it. That’s why the guardrail is there: to keep you from flying off a cliff. But none of us want to rub up on the guardrail because it will probably scuff the paint and create some scratches.
Now let me ask you this. How often do you drift (even an inch) over the white line on the shoulder? Or even hit those rumble strips that make that obnoxious loud noise when you hit them? Again, hopefully not very often, but I’ll bet it is more often than the guardrail - right?
Why is that?
Sure they are a little closer than the guardrails, but I suspect the real reason is that there is no immediate consequence to our actions. Not so with the guardrail. We tap that just for a second and we might be spending hundreds or thousands at the body shop.
This is the problem with budgeting with fake money. There are no immediate consequences to our actions. So when I get just a little lazy and “drift” with one budgeting category, it has no immediate negative effect, which ultimately causes me to get even more comfortable being lazy with the budget. And sure enough within a few months, I find that I bounced a check because the budgeting software numbers don’t match what is actually in my bank account or my entire budget is out of whack and it is time to start over from scratch.
On the other hand...
With the Real Money Budgeting system, cheating is not an option. It is kind of like driving on one of those roads where the guardrail is literally right on the white line. It should come as no surprise that you and I don’t seem to have any issues staying within the white line when the guardrail is right there - do we?
The typical problem with "Fake Money" budgeting
Let me give you an example of what this looks like: let’s say I have $100 budgeted for my spending money each month and this month I accidentally went over and spent $125.
What I should do is pull $25 from the grocery budget to cover my overage in my spending money account. But what tends to happen with budgeting tools that use "fake money" is that we just do nothing and tell ourselves that we will fix it next month. Since it isn't actually tied to the real money in our bank, we can get away with that for a month or two. But inevitably, it ends up catching up with us. And for many people, it is too late and their entire budget is shot.
What I should do is pull $25 from the grocery budget to cover my overage in my spending money account. But what tends to happen with budgeting tools that use "fake money" is that we just do nothing and tell ourselves that we will fix it next month. Since it isn't actually tied to the real money in our bank, we can get away with that for a month or two. But inevitably, it ends up catching up with us. And for many people, it is too late and their entire budget is shot.
A+ rated at the BBB
We have been in business for more than a decade and have over 17 five-star reviews at the BBB.
We are in this for the long run. There is nothing we want more than to see you create and stick with your budget and master all aspects of your finances!
We are in this for the long run. There is nothing we want more than to see you create and stick with your budget and master all aspects of your finances!
Your course instructor
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Bob Lotich
SeedTime Founder
Bob Lotich is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®), award-winning blogger, has over 10+ years experience writing about money, and has been named a top 20 social influencer in personal finance. His writing has been featured on Forbes, The Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, CBN, Crosswalk, Patheos and others. He has been a full-time writer since 2008, Youtuber since 2018, and loves uncovering financial wisdom in the Bible as well as discovering the best tools and strategies to help you put more money in your pocket.
Bob has been featured on:
FAQ
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When does the course start?
Immediately! It is self-study, so you can take it at anytime - on your schedule.
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Does it work with Mac, PC, Linux?
It works on any and all computers because it isn’t a software that is used.
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Can I take the course on my smartphone?
Yep, absolutely. It is just as easy doing it on your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
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What are the requirements?
There are a few simple requirements you need to be able to meet to use the system:
1. You must have good enough credit to open a checking and savings account. If you aren’t able to, we will happily refund you.
2. You will most likely need to open a new checking account (but not get rid of your current one!) as there are only a couple banks that I have found that work with this method.
3. You must be a U.S. citizen currently (hopefully this will change soon!) -
How much time will be involved?
You will be able to get through the course videos in less than an hour. It should take about 2 hours (spread over a week or so) to get the system in place. From there, like any method of budgeting, it will require regular categorization of transactions (~15 minutes a week) to ensure that you are staying on track with your budget.
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Can this budget be done with paper or does it have to be done on the computer?
Sorry, it doesn't work with paper only. You need to have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
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What if I am outside the US?
Until we find a bank outside the US that works with this method we don't recommend it for those outside the US. The concept will work, but it may not be very easy or possible at your bank, though you are welcome to try. See the next question for what is needed...
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Why do you have to use Capital One 360?
It is the only bank that I know for sure works with this system. Basically it has a combination of features that are very uncommon in most banks. These are a few:
1) They let you open up to 20 savings accounts (budgeting categories) and most banks won't let you do this.
2) It only takes about 60 seconds to open a new savings account - which is really helpful when opening a lot.
3) They allow free transfers to & from your current bank, which most banks do not.
4) They allow you to name your savings accounts.
And the list goes on and on. But it is important to remember you are not leaving your current bank, just adding a new one. -
Do I have to change banks?
No. You keep your current bank just as it is, but you will need to open a new account at Capital One 360 in order to use the method.
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What if I don't have a Capital One branch near me?
I don't either. It doesn't matter for this system since all the money is being transferred online. They are a fantastic online bank with lots of options for getting money in and out.
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Do I need to change my direct deposit over to Capital One?
No, one of the reasons we use them for this system is because they allow you to transfer back and forth to your current bank for free. So you can do your monthly transfers that way or you could have your direct deposit divided up between your two banks. Either works.
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Are there banking fees involved in setup and going forward?
No fees! That is one of many features of the bank that we recommend for this budgeting method.
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Does this course sync with my bank account?
Nope, it is just a method of budgeting that this course teaches. The method doesn’t use any software, it just teaches you how to budget with your own bank account.
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Do you have access to my bank account?
Nope, not at all. By purchasing the course, you will gain access to training on how to use the method with your own bank account.
The Real Money Budgeting Course
Includes 14-lesson RMB online video course, Bonus Bill-Pay Spreadsheet and training, "My 3-step system to save up to 50% on all my purchases" training, Budgeting spreadsheet & worksheet, master checklist, and more!
-
Enroll in the course now!
$47.00
1 payment (Save $7)
-
Enroll in the course now!
2 x $27.00
2 monthly payments
Get 2 months of budgeting consulting
-
Enroll in the course now!
$65.00
$65.00Real Money Budgeting + 2 months email consulting
2 Months of unlimited email consulting with Bob or someone from the SeedTime team who actually uses the Real Money Budgeting method themselves. Consider it like a budgeting mentor who you can ask questions to any time!
Up To $40 Rebate Available
Wait, What?!
In the course, we recommend using two separate, FREE services (Personal Capital and Capital One 360) to help you get results faster. We are partners with each of these services and they graciously offer $20 bonuses for signing up for a FREE account (with our partner link).
So if you are new to both, you could get up to $40 back. So not only are you going to get all the financial benefit of having a budget that works but you also just might be able to do it for the price of a Starbuck's coffee!
So if you are new to both, you could get up to $40 back. So not only are you going to get all the financial benefit of having a budget that works but you also just might be able to do it for the price of a Starbuck's coffee!
Summer enrollment ends in...
- 00Days
- 00Hours
- 00Minutes
- 00Seconds