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Budget

6 min

The 50/30/20 rule is a starting point, not a law

Why the classic split breaks in expensive cities, and how to set your own three numbers in ten minutes.

Why the classic split breaks in expensive cities, and how to set your own three numbers in ten minutes.

Most money advice assumes you have a perfect month. Nobody does. The trick is to set rules that still work in a messy month: small, automatic, and done on the day the money arrives.

Start with what doesn’t change

Start with your fixed costs. Add them up, round up by 5%, and move that amount on payday. Then decide one saving rule, as a percentage, and let it run before you spend anything.

After three paydays, look at what actually happened. Adjust one number, not five. Small changes you keep beat big plans you drop.

One email on payday. Never more.

A short money note on the 1st of every month: one rule to try, one number to watch.

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