conversation: User (dottywine): "Hey guys! I just wanted other opinions.\n\nI was using a free trial of YNAB and honestly I spent more time LEARNING how to use it than actually using it. After learning how to use it, I felt the syncing problems were unbearable. I don’t want to use it manually.\n\nI didn't like Every Dollar before because I didn't like that it was based on total income for the month, disregarding when the income comes. I like YNAB because it was based on how much money you actually have. But I've opted to use Every Dollar and budget based on the income I have, not the total.\n\nI wonder if anyone else had a similar experience or thought."
  Self: "I use everydollar. In regards to:\n\n"I didn't like Every Dollar before because I didn't like that it was based on total income for the month, disregarding when the income comes."\n\nMy workaround for this is that I keep a float in my chequing. E.g. if my pay for the month is $4000, I come INTO the month with say a $1000 float in my chequing account. That way I can spend that down to say $500, and when I get paid, it boosts it up to for example $2500. \n\nI've never run into a scenario where I use my whole every dollar budget and run out of money. The float in the chequing account will protect you from that. Every month I end with $0 left to spend in my budget and a hefty amount in my chequing to keep me going for the first portion of the coming month until the next payday. "
  fizzmore (fizzmore): "I realize that it's not where everyone's at now, but having a month's worth of expenses in your checking account makes life much, much easier.  \n\nOP, if you're not there yet, I would definitely make that a top goal...then you won't have to spend time or mental energy worrying about exactly when the money is coming in or going out and can focus on the bigger decisions of how you're allocating your income and what financial goals you want to aim for."
  