Guides
Money guides for real life
Practical guides to budgeting, saving and sharing costs, written by the team behind the RatePocket budgeting app. Every guide uses worked examples you can copy, and links to a free tool to try it with your own numbers.
Budgeting basics
- 8 min read
How to set a daily spending limit that adjusts as you go
A monthly budget is hard to feel. A daily limit answers "can I buy this today?" Here is the formula, a worked example, and why a rolling limit beats a fixed one.
Read the guide → - 9 min read
The 50/30/20 budget: how it works, with examples, and when to change the split
The 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay into needs, wants and savings. See worked examples, what goes in each group, and how to adjust it when rent or family support takes more than half.
Read the guide → - 8 min read
How to budget on an irregular income
Freelance, commission or gig income makes a fixed budget feel impossible. Use a baseline month, a buffer and a simple priority list to make every month feel the same.
Read the guide → - 6 min read
A 15-minute month-end money review
Six questions to ask at the end of every month or pay period: what came in, where it went, what ran over, and what to do with the money left over.
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Shared money
- 10 min read
How to split shared expenses fairly: equal, by income, or by use
Roommates, couples and trips all split money differently. Compare the three fair methods with worked examples, and learn how to settle up with the fewest payments.
Read the guide → - 9 min read
Budgeting in two currencies: a practical guide for expats and remote workers
Paid in one currency, spending in another, sending money home in a third? Choose a base currency, record the rate with every expense, and plan for exchange-rate swings.
Read the guide → - 7 min read
How to run a 20-minute family budget meeting
A short, regular money check-in keeps a household on the same page without arguments. Here is a simple agenda, how to share the numbers, and how to involve children.
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Saving
- 8 min read
Sinking funds: save for big expenses without touching your emergency money
A sinking fund is a small savings pot for a cost you know is coming. Learn the goal math, see examples, and set up pockets so yearly bills and holidays stop wrecking your month.
Read the guide → - 8 min read
How big should your emergency fund be? A practical way to decide
Three to six months of expenses is the usual advice, but whose expenses, and which months? Work out your own number step by step, plus a realistic way to build it.
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