This is the third part of a four-part series called Gidget Talks Money. If you missed them, be sure to check out Part 1: Saving $$ Dave Ramsey-Style, and Part 2: Crazy for Coupons. **GIVEAWAY below!**
photo by S Baker
In our five-year budgeting journey, we’ve tried a few different methods: Microsoft Money, a homemade spreadsheet, MS Money again, and iBank. These all worked fine, but not great. The homemade spreadsheet was a great start but it didn’t quite do everything I wanted it to, and the others did too much (too many charts and tax-related stuff that I didn’t ever touch).
That’s why I was so pleased to find Pear Budget. Their tagline says “Really Simple Budgeting,” and that’s the truth. It’s not more than I need, in fact it’s exactly want I want in a budgeting software. I only wish I’d found it before I bought iBank. Oh well, ya live and learn.
Here are the features I love about Pear Budget:
- It’s online, meaning I can access it anywhere
- It’s cheap ($3/month after first free trial month)
- It’s very easy to set up (no importing/exporting of files) and use
- It’s safe; no entering of account info, no linking to my accounts for automatic downloads
- It’s owned and run by a husband and wife and they personally respond to emails, have a blog, and are available on Twitter for questions/support
- It has three simple steps {Plan (your budget), Enter (your receipts), Review (your spending)}
- It works like a digital version of Dave Ramsey’s envelope system (meaning if you overspend in one category, you can easily change your budgeted amount of another category to make up for it)
- It’s based on a zero-based budget, meaning every dollar gets accounted for (something we’ve always attempted, long before I knew there was a name for this), even if it’s being saved
- Monthly categories and irregular categories that you can put money aside for (like vacation, etc.), even if you don’t use them every month (See Jenn W.’s comment below!)
- It’s pretty (I am a girl after all!)
see how simple it is? (click to see full-size)
And because the Pear Budget family is so awesome, owner Charlie Park has generously offered a free year’s subscription to one of our lucky readers!!
Here’s how to enter:
Winner will be chosen randomly; you get 1 entry for each of these things you do with a total of 4 possible entries per person. Make sure you leave a comment for each of your entries (i.e. 1 telling me you subscribed, 1 with the link to your blog, etc.). Giveaway will end midnight, mountain time on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
- Leave a comment telling me a budgeting or money-saving tip.
- Leave a comment telling me you subscribed to my blog via RSS or via email (if you already subscribe you can post a comment telling me that).
- Leave a comment with a link to your blog, where you mention this giveaway.
- Leave a comment saying you Stumbled or gave a thumbs up to any page at gidgetgoeshome.com via StumbleUpon (post a link to your SU profile in the comment to verify your thumbs up).
If you do decide to subscribe/try Pear Budget, please email charlie [at] pearbudget [dot] com and be sure to tell him that you were referred to by me (Nicole Bennett, for those of you who don’t know my real name!). Thanks!
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
We LOVE Dave Ramsey and have (tried) to follow his program for the last 3 years. It has been such a blessing to us. One thing we have really enjoyed is keeping an irregular income purchase sheet. These are items we would really like to buy (things for the house, furniture, etc.) but are not in our usual budget. When ever we get extra money from anywhere (a rebate, birthday gift, find a $5 on the sidewalk) we check our list and add it to the top item on our list. This reduces the amount of “impulse buying” and allows us to make some larger purchases we otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.
Blessings!!
Jenn W
Oh… and I am also a subscriber.
Thanks for this great giveaway- I have really enjoyed looking at Pear Budget and would love to give it a try.
Blessings!!
Jenn W
I don’t have any budget tips since I am horrible with money. I do subscribe to your blog!
I am a subscriber! (and I’m a believer… That song always enters my hears when i say I’m a subscriber:)
Money tip….
I try not to buy things the first time I see them and decide I want it. I wait until 1) I find it used or 2) a couple months, and see how my priorities shift.
I’m a subscriber!
Beckies last blog post..Gidget and other fun things!!
I’ve been wanting to try Pear ever since you told me about it, especially since we recently bought our house!! My tip: when we get overtime or other extra/non budgeted money, some of it goes to savings and we pull some of it out in cash and use that for extra eating out or “frivilous” spending.
Beckies last blog post..Gidget and other fun things!!
We sooooo need this! Sounds awesome!
I am a subscriber to your blog.
Great giveaway! Mahalo!
Sarah at Ohana Mamas last blog post..Mother Ink Tattoos Winners & Discount Code!
Money tip:
Never go grocery shopping hungry. You will buy more
Another one: Try to join a co-op to receive a bulk discount on items. This is especially awesome for organic or more natural products that can cost more at stores. I found my co-ops through my mommy board, btb (their link is on my site)
I’m always looking for new tools to help me budget. Right now I’m using a simple paper and pencil system that’s probably not working nearly as well as I think it is. Pear Budget sounds perfect and I’d love to give it a try. Great contest!
My budget saving tip is to make a grocery list and limit yourself to one trip to the grocery store each week. The more often you find yourself at the store, the more opportunities to buy things you don’t really need. And always stick to the list!
Ami (Writing: My Life)s last blog post..Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stacks Recipe
I forgot to mention I’m a subscriber, too.
Ami (Writing: My Life)s last blog post..Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stacks Recipe
My money saving tip? Gee, that is what I’m just learning now. I guess in the past I’ve tried to restrain myself… only purchasing 2 “treats” for the kids. I also try to avoid WalMart – as I always seem to spend more than what I originally planned on (because of all the OTHER stuff that is there!).
I subscribed to your blog a couple of weeks ago. Love it!
I just subscribed via email. This sounds like exactly what I need. Thanks for posting it! I will post on my blog tomorrow too. I’ll pop back over after I post it and leave another comment
Oh, wow! I have an ancient version of pearbudget that charlie shared years ago. I had no idea he’d taken off with it!!! That is awesome. I love the ancient version, so I know I’d love the new one.
My budgeting tips would be to start with the zero-balance budget, be sure to leave a little blow-money in the budget so you don’t go stir-crazy, and to CAREFULLY watch that grocery bill. Planning your menu for the week before you go shopping can cut that bill in half.
Jenns last blog post..Wordless Wednesday
Hello,
I have enjoyed being a subscriber, I love your site. We have tried every EVERY money tool. Our problem usually isn’t the spending but the fact that my husband has a 100% commission job that fluctuates by several hundred dollars each month. I’m going to try this system because I’m always interested in finding something that fits our situation.
My money tip: We have four kids that we home educate. Many years ago when we realized we would not have a consistent income, we stopped randomly shopping. I coined the phrase “If you go looking, YOU WILL find something you want, need or both!” So, we only shop for clothing, housewares & extras twice a year. SPRING & FALL. This greatly cuts down on unnecessary spending for us.
OH, I also have your button on my share page at our site. Thank you!
I already subscribe and love your blog so far!
I also love Pear Budget. I am in the 30 day trial phase, but it has made budgeting so easy for me.
Great Giveaway!
Kellis last blog post..Overdue Update
Best budgeting tip… keep track of what you spend! I’m not very good at keeping receipts, so I check my online banking and then enter it into my budget. Works like a charm.
Kellis last blog post..Pear Budget Giveaway!
I just wrote a post about your giveaway on my site.
http://www.fivehansens.blogspot.com
Kellis last blog post..Pear Budget Giveaway!
I was just reading about Pear the other day and thought it was a great service!
Best little savings tip — I throw any $5 bills I come across into a jar. At the end of the month, I have a nice little stockpile that was not painful to save but makes a nice addition to my savings account.
I linked to the giveaway on my blog:
http://adayspent.blogspot.com/2008/09/giveaway-roundup_26.html
Although I don’t use coupons, I find I can still save a ton of money by knowing exactly what I want/need before I go inside the grocery store. We have a rule in our house that we don’t just “stop by and pick something up”. We have to have a list and we cannot deviate from it.
Also, we try to have specific days set aside for eating out. That way if we get lazy about cooking we can remind ourselves to hold out until our designated feasting day! It saves us a lot of unnecessary restaurant visits which means we are saving money.
sarahs last blog post..Money Money Money
I am already a subscriber and love getting your tidbits in my inbox. Thanks. Maureen
My tip is to use envelopes. I am just starting and it seems to be working. I have not read Dave Ramsey, but my sister has been a big proponent of envelopes, as has my mom for years, so it must be a good thing. Only time will tell with me. Thanks. I hope I win because I signed up for the free month of Pear Budget and would love to save the annual fee, although $3 a month is more than worth it…thanks for turning me onto this program.
I always try to enter receipts into a spreadsheet every night so I can see where our money goes. It’s amazing how much money you spend without paying attention! I need to be better about this.
My best money saving tip? Keeping my butt out of the stores. ( and I mean any store for that matter.) I would love to win this giveaway, as of we need some MAJOR budgeting help! Thanks for the chance!
jennys last blog post..Mail Call
I find making a list when going shopping, for anything at all, really helps me to cut down and avoid impulse purchases.
Mirandas last blog post..just another day
Thanks for this great giveaway- I have really enjoyed looking at Pear Budget and would love to give it a try.
you can buy grocery coupons on ebay i save tons of money on my grocery shopping especially since my store doubles coupons
I’m sure it’s been time and time again use coupons! I’ve recently discovered how valueable these coupons are. Paying 23 cents for frozen vegetables was an eye opener.