For years I lived without a budget. Going paycheck to paycheck, struggling at the end of each month. I managed to get by but it was not how I wanted to live. Then as my career progressed and I started making more money things got better. Although I had enough money and wasn't struggling any longer, I had no plan and no idea where my money went each month. All that mattered to me at the time was that I had money in my bank account, and I was able to pay the bills. All was well.......Or so I thought.

Like many in these times I fell victim to the struggling economy and my income was drastically reduced. Suddenly my lack of planning was a real problem and I needed to make some changes quickly. I started by trying to cut back on expenses and make due on my own. That was not the answer. I had become accustomed to a certain income and had many expenses that I just simply couldn't reduce. What I needed was a way to track expenses and develop a real plan for the future.

I decided like many to turn to the internet to find a budget program. I looked at the big names first like Quicken and Microsoft Money, but they were simply too expensive and more powerful than I required. They are both great programs if you need to track 401k's, investments, etc., but I was just looking for a money manager and these were overcomplicated and a bit confusing. I also looked at some of the online services like Mint.com and Quicken online. Again these are useful services and most importantly free(ad supported),but I just didn't feel secure having my information stored on someone else's server, and what if I wanted to use them while traveling and didn't have an internet connection. Still not what I was looking for. I did find some useful free programs and spreadsheets, but none of them gave me all of the features I wanted. So after weeks of searching I decided to make my own......

Now I'm no computer programmer so decided to use what I knew, Excel. The result was better than I could have ever expected. After using the program for a few months and getting it tailored just right, I realized many people could benefit from what I had created.  I started this website so that I could reach people that are in the same position I was. My goal is not to start an online business career; it is simply to help people. I do have to charge a small fee in order to pay for web hosting, but at $4.95 it is much cheaper than similar alternatives out there. You will never have to pay again, you can make as many copies of the file that you need (I keep a master and make a copy for each year); all I ask is that you do not sell or distribute the file.

Good luck to you in your financial future, I truly hope this site was able to help you on your journey towards your goals.

J Green