Your First 30-Day Money Plan

Not theory. Not lectures. Just a simple plan you can use this week.

By the end of this session, you'll have one clear action for spending, saving, and debt or investing.

What This Will (and Won't) Do

✓ What you'll get:
A tiny written money plan for the next 30 days that fits YOUR real numbers.

✗ What this isn't:
This won't fix everything overnight. It won't judge your past choices. It won't tell you what you "should" have done.

⏱ Time commitment:
60-90 minutes. You can pause and come back anytime.

Question 1: Money Emotion

When you think about money, what emotion shows up first?

😌 Relief

😰 Stress

😔 Guilt

🤔 Curiosity

😵 Overwhelm

💭 No right answer here. We're just finding your starting point.

Question 2: Monthly Pattern

What happens in a typical month?

I run out before the end

I break even

I usually have some left

I'm not sure—it varies wildly

Question 3: Most Urgent Priority

Which feels most urgent right now?

Stop the chaos
Unpredictable spending, no control

Get out of debt
High-interest payments are stressing me out

Start growing my money
Ready to invest and build for the future

🤔 Reflection Moment

Looking at your result, does it feel honest?
If you could rewrite one answer, which would it be and why?

What happens next:
We'll build your 30-day plan step by step. You'll see your real numbers, choose one simple budget rule, and create an action plan for spending, saving, and debt or investing.

Part 2: Your Cash Flow Snapshot

Before making a plan, you need to see where you actually are.

The Money Bus Question:
If your money were a bus, who's driving it right now?
You? Your bills? Your impulses?

We'll help you see three things:

Income: What comes in each month
Needs: Fixed costs you can't skip (rent, food, utilities)
Wants: Flexible spending (fun, extras)

Don't worry about perfection. Estimates are fine. You'll see patterns you didn't expect.

Step 1: Monthly Income

What's your monthly take-home pay? (After taxes, the amount that hits your account)

Monthly income (net/take-home):

$

💡 Include all sources: salary, side gigs, partner's income—anything that comes in regularly.

Step 2: Your Needs (Fixed Costs)

These are things you can't easily skip. The essentials.

Common needs: Rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, minimum debt payments, insurance, transportation

Total Needs: $0

Step 3: Your Wants (Flexible Spending)

The fun stuff, subscriptions, eating out, hobbies—things that make life enjoyable but aren't survival-level.

Common wants: Dining out, streaming services, shopping, entertainment, coffee, hobbies

Total Wants: $0

Your Cash Flow Snapshot

Here's where your money goes each month.

Income

$0

Needs

$0

Wants

$0

0%

🟠 Needs 🔵 Wants 🟢 Left Over

🚌 The Money Bus Questions

If your money were a bus, who's driving it right now?

Which category surprised you most?

Part 3: Your One-Rule Budget

Time to turn your snapshot into action. But first, an honest question:

What's more painful for you?

Cutting spending now
I hate the idea of giving things up

Living with money stress long-term
I'd rather make hard changes than stay anxious

💭 This isn't a trick question. It helps us suggest the right rule for YOU.

Pick Your One Simple Rule

Choose ONE rule for the next 30 days. Just one.

💰 Save First
"I will save __% of every paycheck before spending"

📊 Spending Cap
"I will limit [category] to $____ per week/month"

🎁 Windfall Rule
"Every unexpected dollar goes to [specific goal]"

✍️ Custom Rule
Write your own rule that fits your life

Your Savings Rule

📈 Your 3-Month Forecast

Month 1

$0

Month 2

$0

Month 3

$0

Total saved in 3 months: $0

💭 Reflection Questions

Which rule feels hard but possible?

What would make this easier to follow?

Who could hold you gently accountable?

✍️ Write Your Rule in Your Own Words

This will be Line 1 of your final 30-day plan.

Part 4 of 5: Safety & Debt Stack 🛡️

Build a buffer so life's surprises don't derail your plan.

💰 Your Emergency Buffer Target

Imagine the worst: no income for 30 days. What's the bare minimum you'd need to survive?
(Just needs—rent, food, utilities. Not wants.)

Bare-bones survival for 1 month:

$

How much could you set aside in the next 30 days?

$

💭 Quick Reflection: Safety & Peace of Mind

If you had even half a month of expenses saved, how would that change your stress level? What's one place you could park this buffer so you're not tempted to touch it?

💳 Do you have high-interest debt?

Credit cards, payday loans, buy-now-pay-later with fees—anything over 10% APR.

😓

Yes, I have debt

Let's build a payoff strategy

✅

No high-interest debt

Great! We'll skip this section

📊 List Your Debts

Enter each debt. We'll color-code them and help you choose a payoff strategy.

🎯 Choose Your Payoff Strategy

⛄

Snowball Method

Pay smallest balance first (quick wins boost motivation)

🏔️

Avalanche Method

Pay highest rate first (saves most money long-term)

🎯 One Last Question Before Your Plan

You've done the hard work of facing your numbers, choosing a rule, and planning for safety.
Now it's time to make this real.

What's the smallest step you can take in the next 24 hours to start this plan?

Not "someday." Not "when I have time." What will you actually do tomorrow?

Your 30-Day Money Plan 📋

Here's your personalized plan. Save it, print it, or share it with your accountability partner.

Ready to deepen your financial knowledge?

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