Month: --
Savings: $400
Best: --

Budget Survival

Twelve months, one paycheck of $2,000, $1,700 of bills, $400 saved. A surprise every month. Keep your savings alive until December.

Budget Survival

A year on one paycheck: car repairs, a wedding abroad, a raise, a "sure thing" investment, Black Friday. Each month brings a surprise, and some choices keep costing for months. Keep your savings alive until December.

12 months
Personal finance

How to play

Get paid. Each month: $2,000 in, $1,700 of bills out, plus the plans you signed up for.
Face the surprise. Pick how you handle it. Some choices cost now, some cost every month, some come back later.
Stay afloat. A negative balance pays overdraft fees. Below −$1,000, the year ends.
Score. Your savings in December, plus $50 for every smart move. Each choice explains the lesson.

Quick tips

Keep a cushion. An emergency fund turns a crisis into an inconvenience: no card interest, no stress.
Watch the monthly. $45 a month sounds small; over 24 months it's over $1,000.
Save raises first. Save a raise before you get used to spending it.
Ask before you pay. Payment plans, rent and bills are often negotiable. Asking costs nothing.
Fixes are cheaper early. Maintenance and insurance cost little compared with what they prevent.