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.
2,173 thoughts on “Welcome to Budget Bootcamp”
I’m probably gonna smash through most of this asap. I’m just excited to be able to use my money in a more thoughtful way.
Me too!!
I will do them in the evenings or on weekends. I’ve always done budget with excel and just never found it worked so I’m excited to learn this tool and succeed at what I’ve been attempting for a long time.
I am grateful to keep on learning and expanding my horizons
I’ma do it in the mornings and evenings I’ma try my best to do all of them
I am going to do them during my break at work and any moment when my workflow lessens . This is so exciting
I’ll work on the budget in the evenings, probably after dinner, when things have settled down. I’m looking forward to having a tool that will help me establish and maintain a budget.
I’ll do them as I find time as a trucker. So probably bursts of a lot then wait. I set up my budget. I’m hoping tips make me be more successful and practical.
I have trouble keeping up with my credit card am thinking to work on budget in morning.
I’ll work in this in the morning before getting started for the day. It will be a challenge for me to even show up
But I want to do diverging different t with what I have left.
I will do this course over the next 3days. Just so I take it in a bit. Otherwise I would like to engage more with the Paycheck to paycheck course
I am excited to start this budgeting journey and hope that this will stick with me and change the course of my finance habits for the rest of my life!
I will complete each assignment daily at my desk each evening. I’m excited to start taking control of my families finances and learning ways to budget better. I intend to reach financial freedom goals, stop living paycheck to paycheck, payoff all our debt and increase our emergency funds all in the next 2years. I feel very confident with the help of Goodbudget.
I will work on this course in the morning, before kids get up, sitting at the table. I have already been budgeting with goodbudget for awhile but I know there is more to learn and want to expand on what we already do.
So excited to learn!
I don’t have any serious financial problems, but do find difficulty to track spending on importance. This makes me not feel confidence to save and to give.
I plan to take the assessment in the evening during dinner cooking and after meal if need to extend
At lunch break or after work stay late
I will work on this course in the morning
Was thinking in the morning before everything gets started to give me uninterrupted focus
I Plan to do my budget Homework once a week at the least and late at night when everybody is asleep and in the living room on the couch .
I will do in the evening after dinner. I really hope this help me, I never budgeted before
I’m thrilled about this course. I’ve never done a budget before using this method. I’ll do my homework every Sunday night
I am super excited about this course. I will be doing my assignments during the day when I am on my 15 minutes coffee break at work
I’m probably going to work on mine after I get home in the evening from work. I’m looking forward to taking charge of my budget so that retirement and fixed income years don’t scare me!
I’ll be doing my assignments about 11:00 AM at my work table. I’m always excited to try to become more organized and to manage life better.
I’ll tackle just before bed, as I’m a ProcrastiMaster with ADHD and wrap up daily tasks then, when I do my best remembering- to- do- things. And, as I really love doing new and interesting things, I’ll likely do all new tasks given, instead of boring things like… sleeping.
I will do my at my home office desk. I look forward to being more organized.
I will be doing this in the morning with my morning coffee . Before I start my day.
Excited about getting organized.
Also started a new business this year and working to feel confident about expense and disparagements to personal account.
Goal to redo our Kitchen in the future.
Goal of paying credit cards off by end of the year.
In the morning before work at my desk.
I’m hoping this will work out better than YNAB…the concept seems the same but the cost is way more doable for my income.
I am planning to do it day time, whenever my work load is less. I am very optimistic about it
I’m going to try to work this in on a break from work
I will probably do this before bed or while the kids I watch are napping.
I believe I can corral my husband into spending a few minutes each morning on this course. Ideally this will transfer into a quick “financial five” at the same time every morning – before we go forth and spend!
Probably after work and dinner is done. Hope to stick to a budget this time!
I’ll work on mine in the evening. Various locations.
Hey Goodbudget,
Thanks ever so much for this free course. I hope to sharpen my budgeting skills with your help.
Most likely, I will check in to do lessons in the afternoon or early evenings.
Happy Budgeting in 2022!
Jane
Given that I sleep at work and travel often I will have to get this done whenever I have the time. Preferably each day before dinner time.
I’m going to complete these in the evenings or mid-morning. My husband I have struggled to budget for years and I need some guidance on how to even start. I feel silly because h everyone makes it seem so simple but I get totally overwhelmed. Really happy I found this!
I’m ready to try something new with budgeting as everything else has failed. Hopefully this boot camp gives me some new strategies. I’m going to do these assignments after work.
I’m super excited about learning how to save money and control unhealthy impulse spending.
I forgot to mention when and where I plan to do my homework assignments. Hopefully during my lunch hour but it will most likely be at night right before bed.
Looking forward to learn the envelope system. In the early morning is my time for budgeting!
Probably lunch time! Life changes recently, need to pay off debt and save 🙂
I plan to work on the assignments in the evening. I look forward to learning how to be more thoughtful with my spending.
I will do it every morning during breakfast to plan for the day, reflect on my past and keep my goals at the forfront of my mind.
My husband and I are excited to get on track. We really do want to build a solid foundation and pay down some debt.
I’ll probably work on my budget during the morning hours. I have retired recently and need to setup a budget using my new monthly income.
I will do the homework in the evening. I am NOT excited at all, and have been crying for the past hour just trying to figure out how to fill envelopes with money I don’t have yet. I am 66 years old, and have NEVER been able to set up/stick to a budget and am facing retirement in debt.
Looking forward to learn the envelope system I will do them in the evenings and on weekends.I’m excited to learn this tool and succeed at what I’ve been attempting for a long time.
I’m excited to start working on this during work.
Very excited to know the mantra
I’ll probably work on this in the evenings and on weekends.