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Make a simple budget

You text what comes in and what goes out, and your assistant puts it in a simple budget.

Works today

Nothing to connect. You only text your assistant.

Suggested tools

You can set these up yourself. Get the app, follow the steps, then copy the prompt.

  • Budget Worksheet (consumer.gov)

    Free

    A free one page form where you write what comes in and what goes out each month.

    Open the website

    1. Open the page and tap Download PDF.
    2. Print it and fill it in by hand, or type in the boxes on a computer.
    3. Take a clear photo of the filled page and text it to your assistant. You can also upload the PDF on your files page.

    Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

    • I want to make a budget with the free Budget Worksheet from consumer.gov. Walk me through it one step at a time and wait for me after each step: download the PDF, fill it in, then send a clear photo of the page or upload the PDF to my files page. Then put the numbers in a simple budget, show me what is left over, and save it as my budget.

    It is a paper form. It does not add things up for you, and your assistant can misread handwriting, so check the totals.

  • YNAB (You Need A Budget)

    $14.99 per month or $109 per year, after a 34-day free trial

    A budgeting app where you give every dollar a job, and it can save your budget as a file.

    Download for iPhoneDownload for AndroidOpen the website

    1. Build your budget in YNAB. If you link a bank, that link stays inside YNAB. Your assistant never gets it.
    2. On a computer, sign in at the YNAB website and use the export option. It gives you CSV files of your plan and your transactions.
    3. Open your files page (text /home to your assistant) and upload the files.
    4. No computer? Send a screenshot of your budget screen.

    Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

    • I use YNAB and I want you to explain my spending. Walk me through it one step at a time and wait for me after each step: on a computer I sign in at the YNAB website, use the export option, and upload the CSV files to my files page. If I have no computer, I send a screenshot of my budget screen. Never ask for my bank login. Then tell me in plain words where most of my money went last month, and check your math twice.

    The export works on the YNAB website, not in the phone app, and your assistant sees only the files you upload, not your live YNAB.

  • EveryDollar (free version)

    Free. Premium is $17.99 per month or $79.99 per year, with a 14-day free trial

    A simple budgeting app where you type in your income and your bills by hand.

    Download for iPhoneDownload for AndroidOpen the website

    1. Make your monthly budget in the free version. You type the numbers yourself. No bank link is needed.
    2. Take a screenshot of your budget screen.
    3. Text the screenshot to your assistant.

    Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

    • I just got the free version of EveryDollar. Walk me through it one step at a time and wait for me after each step: I type my monthly budget in the app, take a screenshot of the budget screen and send it here. Then tell me in plain words what it shows and list my 3 biggest costs.

    The free version does not make a file to download. Saving a month as a CSV file needs Premium and the website.

What to text

  • Help me make a simple budget. Ask me one question at a time.

  • I bring home about 3,200 a month. Rent is 1,400, car is 310, phone is 85, food is about 600. Make a budget.

  • Where does most of my money go?

  • I want to save 200 a month. Show me 3 places I could find it.

  • Show me my budget.

Steps

  1. Text how much money comes in each month.
  2. Text your bills: what each one is for and how much. Rough numbers are fine.
  3. Ask it to put them in a budget and show what is left.
  4. Check the math yourself. Tell it if a number is wrong.
  5. Ask it to save the budget. Next month, text what changed.

Example conversation

You:

I bring home about 3,200 a month. Rent is 1,400, car is 310, phone is 85, food is about 600. Make a budget.

Your assistant:

Here is your budget:
Money in: 3,200
Rent: 1,400
Car: 310
Phone: 85
Food: 600
Total out: 2,395
Left over: 805

Are there other bills, like electric, insurance or a credit card?

You:

Electric is about 120 and insurance is 140.

Your assistant:

Updated. Total out: 2,655. Left over: 545. I saved this as your budget.

This is an example. The words your assistant uses will be different.

Make it stick

  • Start with rough numbers. A rough budget today beats a perfect one never.
  • Look at it once a month, on the same day. One short text: "Show me my budget."

What it will not do

It does not connect to your bank and cannot see your accounts. It only knows the numbers you text. It can make math mistakes, so check the totals.

Your money

This is for organizing and explaining only. It does not pick investments and does not give tax or legal advice. For those, ask a licensed professional. Never text bank passwords, card numbers or full account numbers. Cover them in photos.

Demo notice

During a demo, do not send passwords, card numbers or private customer details. Read the demo rules.