Safe to pay
Plain-English notes on paychecks, bills, credit-card timing and paying off debt.
Safe to pay
Most kid costs aren't random. Sports seasons, camps, school costs and child care come on dates you can see coming. Here's how to spread them across your paychecks, a $900 example, what the same $900 costs on a 22% card, and what to do when a season doesn't fit.
8 min read
Safe to pay
Croft's position: cash advance apps keep people short, and we want people off them for good. How the cost adds up, why the payback cycle repeats, and, if you use one, a step-down plan to $0.
6 min read
Safe to pay
Your bank balance isn't what you can spend. Here's the simple math for what's actually safe before your next paycheck, a worked example, and why the low point before payday matters most.
3 min read
Safe to pay
Pay in 4 can be a fair deal, or it can land in rent week and set off a bank fee. Here's when buy now, pay later helps, when it hurts, a quick checklist before you click, and how to plan each payment into your paychecks.
10 min read
Safe to pay
Not wanting to look at your bank balance is common, and it makes sense. Not looking doesn't make the worry go away, though. Here's why looking feels so hard, a simple 7-day plan for a first look, and kind words to say to yourself along the way.
10 min read
Safe to pay
Take what's in checking, subtract every bill due before your next paycheck and a small cushion. What's left is the most you can safely pay. Then let a card absorb everyday spending and pay the most you can each payday.
7 min read
Quick calculators that run in your browser. No sign-up.
Your balance, minus the bills due before payday, everyday spending and a cushion, checked day by day.
What a cash advance app adds up to over a few months: what you received and what you paid back.
