Proof of Budget

Zero-based envelope budgeting

Give every dollar a job. Then stamp it PROVEN.

Proof of Budget is a simple, private monthly budget built from kraft-paper envelopes. Type in what is coming in, hand it out envelope by envelope until nothing is left unassigned, and the page stamps your plan PROVEN. No sign-up, no bank link, no judgment.

Open the envelopes See how proving works
  • No account needed
  • Your numbers stay on this device
  • Works without internet

How it works

Three steps from paycheck to proof

The whole method fits on one index card. Here it is, with a little coaching along the way.

  1. Count what is coming in

    Start with the money you actually expect this month: paychecks, steady side income, anything dependable. If your income bounces around, use the lower figure. A budget built on a number you are sure of is a calmer budget.

  2. Hand it out, envelope by envelope

    Rent, groceries, the electric bill, fun money. Every envelope gets a name and an amount. Drag a slider or type a number. The paper tape beside the envelopes keeps a running total, so you always know what is left to give.

  3. Reach zero, get the stamp

    When income minus every envelope equals exactly zero, the stamp comes down: PROVEN. It does not mean you spent every dollar. It means every dollar has a job, and that includes the ones you sent to savings.

On your desk

Four envelopes, four small tools

Each one opens in your browser and remembers your work on this device only. Hover or focus an envelope to lift the flap.

A note from your coach

Zero-based budgeting, in plain money talk

A zero-based budget is a plan where your income minus everything you have assigned equals zero. That is the whole rule. It does not mean you are broke at the end of the month. It means no dollar is left floating around without a purpose, because a floating dollar tends to get spent on whatever is nearest.

Savings is an envelope too. If you want some money to go toward an emergency cushion, that is a line in the plan, just like rent. When you give savings a name and an amount, it stops being whatever happens to be left over and becomes something you decided on purpose.

The plan is allowed to be wrong. Rent went up? The grocery envelope ran dry before the month did? Open the planner, move money from one envelope to another, and prove the budget again. The goal is not a perfect month. The goal is a month where you made the choices, instead of the month making them for you.

What the stamp does not mean

PROVEN is a math check, not a grade. It tells you the numbers add up, not that the plan is the right one for your life. Two people can hold the same stamp with very different budgets, and both can be right. If you are over by a little, that is information, not failure. Trim an envelope, or ask whether some money wants to move from fun to a bill. Most budgets get proven on the second or third pass.

If your income is uneven

Budget the lowest amount you are confident about. When more arrives, give the extra a job right away: a bigger savings envelope, a debt payment, or a one-time envelope for something you have been putting off. That way a good month builds your plan instead of quietly disappearing.

Our promises

Built to be simple and private

Good questions

Open a flap, read the answer

Do I need to connect a bank account?

No. Proof of Budget never asks for account numbers, logins or bank links. You type your own figures, and that is the only data the tools ever see. If you would rather round everything to the nearest ten dollars, that works fine too.

Where is my budget saved?

In your browser's own storage on this device. Nothing is uploaded. That also means a different browser or a different device starts fresh, and clearing site data removes your budget. The contact page has a backup tool: copy your data as text, keep it somewhere safe, and paste it back whenever you need it.

Why envelopes?

The envelope idea comes from sorting cash into labelled envelopes, one per purpose, so that when an envelope is empty you know the choice is in front of you. Here the envelopes live on screen, and the tape does the adding. The feeling is the same: money with a name behaves better than money without one.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. The envelopes stack into a single column on small screens, sliders have large touch targets, and a small bar keeps your remaining amount in view while you scroll. Every control also works from a keyboard.

Is this financial advice?

No. Proof of Budget is a planning aid that does arithmetic on the numbers you give it. It does not know your full situation, and it does not recommend products, accounts or investments. For decisions with real consequences, such as debt you cannot pay or a large purchase, consider speaking with a qualified professional.

Ready when you are

Give yourself ten quiet minutes, a cup of something warm, and this month's income. You will leave with a plan you can see, and every dollar in it will have a name.

Start the planner