THE PAYCHECK BUDGET SYSTEM
==========================

Thanks for picking this up. Here's everything you need to know in 60 seconds.

WHAT'S IN THE FILE
  The-Paycheck-Budget-System.xlsx — one workbook, nine tabs:

  1. Start Here      — full setup guide (15 minutes, honestly)
  2. Dashboard       — your money at a glance; updates itself
  3. Paycheck Plan   — zero-based plan for each individual paycheck
  4. Monthly Budget  — plan vs. actual for every month of the year
  5. Transactions    — log spending; everything else fills itself in
  6. Debt Payoff     — snowball/avalanche calculator with your debt-free date
  7. Savings Goals   — sinking funds with monthly-amount-needed math
  8. Net Worth       — monthly tracker with trend chart
  9. Categories      — rename everything to fit your life

OPENING IT
  • Excel (2016 or newer, Mac/Windows/web): just open it.
  • Google Sheets: upload to Drive → open → File → Save as Google Sheets.
    All formulas are compatible.
  • Numbers/LibreOffice: works; minor formatting differences possible.

THE ONE RULE
  Yellow cells are yours to type in. Everything else calculates itself.
  Example data is pre-filled so you can see how it works — replace it
  with your own numbers.

IF SOMETHING LOOKS BROKEN
  You probably typed over a formula cell (a non-yellow one). Press
  Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z, or re-download a fresh copy — your download link
  doesn't expire.

LICENSE
  Personal use, forever, on all your devices. Please don't resell,
  redistribute, or upload it where others can grab it. See LICENSE.txt.

This is an educational tool, not financial advice.
