Welcome to Goodbudget 101: Budget Bootcamp! We’re so excited for you to start this new budgeting journey — one where you’ll create a budget that works for you. And along the way you’ll build habits and learn techniques that will help you live out your budget for the rest of your life.
Now, we’re all starting from different places financially, but we’re all working towards the same goal… making a budget that works. We believe you can make and *keep* a budget. This budget will be your guide to help you spend on what’s important, save for big expenses, and give generously.
Over the next 29 days you’ll receive bite-sized assignments that are practical, reflective and relational and they’re all designed to help you create your new budget utilizing the envelope budgeting method (if you don’t know what that is, learn about it on our website and on YouTube). You can expect to spend about 5 to 10 minutes doing most of the assignments. Every so often there’ll be a longer assignment that will take about 30 minutes. Let’s get started.
Today’s Assignment
- Make a plan for when and where you’d like to do these assignments. Will you spend time working on them at the kitchen table after the kids are in bed, or early in the morning over coffee before everyone gets up? Will you do the assignments for the week all in one day, or divvy them up throughout the week? Deciding this ahead of time will give you a better shot at completing these assignments.
- Comment below and let us know when and where you’re planning to do your homework. Plus, share what you’re excited about learning in this course — and why.
Note for couples: If you share money with someone else, like your spouse, invite them to take this course with you. By working together, you’ll be able to build a solid budget that actually works — for both of you.
That’s it for today! We look forward to seeing you in the next assignment.
Happy budgeting,
-The Goodbudget Team
P.S. If you’re struggling to get ahead because you’re living paycheck to paycheck, GB 30: Break the Cycle might be a good starting place for you. In that course, you’ll spend 30 days working to boost savings and begin building a one-month cushion so you can break the cycle for good.
P.P.S. Or, if you’re currently experiencing a financial emergency, either from taking a pay cut, receiving a large medical bill, or something else, GB 911: Crash Course might be a better fit. There, you’ll learn how to make quick changes to your budget so that you can survive in the short term, adapt to your financial situation, and thrive down the road.
2,205 thoughts on “Welcome to Budget Bootcamp”
lunch time works for me! But weekends is where I can get the most home work done.
In the morning.
I homeschool so break time 10am at my desk.
After dinner sounds good for me.
I’ll do my assignment on my day off once a week
I will be completing my assignments in groups of three or four every couple of days .
When ever my kids are in bed and the house is quite
I will be doing my assignments during my regular jobs. I have times I have to wait for a patient to come in (yes I am a doctor)
Reading Personal Finance for dummies at the moment The author recommended this app
I will be doing my assignment very early in the morning 4:30am or 5 :00am daily
Whenever the kids go to bed and any downtime during the day. My husband and I have different schedules, hence the reason to use downtime to include him. I am excited to learn new ways of budgeting, acquire discipline and stick to the budget. I am tired of living with anxiety, debt and missing out due to overspending and not enough money to pay bills or saved for emergencies or long term.
I’ll be doing my assignments in the evenings after dinner
Hi Guys
Ill be doing my assignments during my lunch break, Mon to Fri. I will use the breakout spaces around our building. Currently doing the Bare Foot Investor so really looking forward to learning more about finances and planning in this course to help me get infront and not be behind
I plan on doing the assignments daily, when I come home from work, except on Tuesday when I’m busy from 7am to 10pm. Looking forward to having my head above water, paying down debt, making payments on time and saving for a trip.
In the morning and a whole week at a time. 🙂
Will do assignments when I get home from work at roughly midnight
I am retired so, whilst I have an active post work life, I am able to fit the assignments in easily during the winter months.
I will do them in the evenings after dinner most likely.
Retired & will plan on doing them first thing in the am with a coffee.
I plan on completing my 10 minutes in the morning with coffee. That gives me the day to put into practice the lesson.
In the evening after dinner
What excited me about this course is the fact that I can’t believe I have an amazing salary, yet I’m always broke! Obviously, I mismanage my money, but I have no idea how to save! Sad, but true. I saw another post where someone is reading _Personal Finance for Dummies_.. I would love to hear whether it is helping!
Lunchtime is best for me
During lunch breaks during weekdays
I cleared the desk in my bedroom so that I can do the daily lesson at my personal work area every morning after breakfast but before lunch.
I am excited to get started
After lunch or before bed. Excited to to get started and learn all I can
Hi. I live on a small farm so I’ll be working on this during my down time since I don’t have a job but I am seeking employment right now. I made the mistake of co-signing for my boyfriend long ago and it didn’t work out with us and broke up, now I’m having to paying for his bills. This ruined my life and I can’t get a car or have a good job. However, taking this free Good budget class , I know I can get my life back and I can’t wait Wait.
I’ll be doing mine either at 8 pm when I arrive home or at about 10 am in the morning on days I don’t work, but I will do them every day along with my Noom.
I will complete them every day when I arrive home from work.
I will do it when I arrive home for the day.
I’m starting again. Did it before without the tutorials…going to be a little smarter this time.
I will do it as part of my morning routine. I am looking forward to learning how to use the app and seeing if it can help streamline my very strict budget.
I’ll work on it in my quiet morning time, before the chaos of the day begins!
I plan to do mine in the morning before my husband is up. I have tried to budget before but didn’t stick with it, so I am starting over again.
My plan is to do the assignments on a daily basis in the morning at my desk. I am looking forward to this because I am nearing retirement age and need o learn to live on less income.
I plan to do my budgeting in the morning at my desk. Ready to make better financial decisiona.
I’m going to be completing the assignments in my living room after work.
I had a plan all in place, then I lost the entire fricking folder!!!! SO frustrating. Gonna try this as I shouldn’t be able to lose IT! Learning step backward….praying this works. It is one of the areas in my life that I truly want to be fit but have never been able to achieve it. Thanks for putting this together. Not sure if I will do it in the am or pm but I will commit to keeping up with it and doing the assignments. Maybe even see if my daughter wants to do it with me!
I’ve been looking to get back on track with saving and budgeting. I’m starting the What’s your in course today.
As a shift worker with frequent unscheduled overtime, my plan with have to be very flexible. Hopefully before my shift starts.
I am going to start right now on my bed.
We’ve agreed upon 2 days/wk… Monday and Thursday
I am new to the whole budgeting journey but very excited to get my finances in order. I work shifts but will commit to completing my assignments daily.
A change of plans, since I do homeschool and babysit my rambunctious 17-month-old great-grandson, while he is here, doing anything extra is not an option. So, I will be working on my budget in the late afternoons, on my bed where I do all of my extra work. I hope to get rid of a lot of these small nuisance bills so that we can save for an upcoming wedding, and some more very important future events, that will require money.
I will be working on my budget homework everyday after work. I don’t have any kids and it’ll make me sit down before I decide to spend any money.
After work will be best for me.
I will be doing this every night. I am excited to be able to track my budget everyday with a tool that is easy to use.
At night after work and after kids are asleep daily.
Hoping to work on this week nights after dinner with my wife. Looking forward to learning some proper budgeting and accounting steps.
Mornings before my work day At my desk
I will work on it on the weekends and On Wednesdays. These are the days I can devote the most uninterrupted time to the tasks.
In the evening when it’s quiet.
Before bed in the evening
Before bed at night or early morning. I hav two opportunities.
I plan on doing the assignments in the morning. I am very bad with money and looking forward to seeing where my money is going and where I can cut the items I dont need.
When is during my babies nap times and where is at the dining table or kitchen bench. I’m keen to get a working budget going so we’re not living week to week.
afternoons are good for me after i ve eaten lunch or finished work
saturday mornings at the kitchen table, I’m excited to become proficient at budgeting while at the beginning of earning more income
I will complete during my lunch time at work
I will complete my assignments on my days off after my morning workouts.
Look forward to increasing my savings rate!