[Learn](https://budget.gnar.li/learn.md)

> A free, self-paced 11-module course on zero-based budgeting for people who want to stay in control of their money. You decide; the app calculates. Import your CSVs, write your own rules, build a budget that balances to zero, and find your Financial Independence Number.

# Every Dollar's Job

Your bank tells you what you can afford. You tell every dollar its job.

This is a free, self-paced course in zero-based budgeting, built around one idea: you make the decisions, and the software does the math. If you have run your money in a spreadsheet, or tried an auto-sync app and walked away, you are exactly who this course is for.

## What You'll Learn

- Why this app never connects to your bank, and why that keeps you in the driver's seat
- How to find your real numbers before you budget a single dollar
- How to import your bank's CSV files and write rules that sort them for you
- How to build a budget that balances to zero, and live in it day to day
- How to prove your numbers against every statement
- How to turn "spend less than I earn" into a Financial Independence Number

## Course Structure

Eleven modules, the last one for households sharing a budget:

1. **Welcome & Philosophy** — You decide, we calculate
2. **Prepare Your Inputs** — Four real numbers, on paper
3. **Get Your Data In** — Demo data, statements, and CSV import
4. **Make It Categorize Itself** — TagMatcher rules
5. **Build Your Zero-Based Budget** — From averages to zero
6. **Plan Ahead** — Scheduled bills and sinking funds
7. **Live In Your Budget** — The two-minute daily check
8. **Understand Your Spending** — The Insights pages
9. **Keep It Accurate & Sustain It** — Reconciliation and rhythm
10. **Plan Your Financial Independence** — Your FI Number and FI Budget
11. **Household & Sharing** — Share an account, then run the review together

Each lesson opens with the problem it solves, shows you the idea, gives you something to do (in the app or on paper), and ends with a few questions so you know it stuck.

Let's get started.

## Course Modules

### Welcome & Philosophy

- [You Decide, We Calculate](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-1/you-decide-we-calculate.md)
- [What the App Automates (and What It Doesn't)](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-1/what-the-app-automates.md)
### Prepare Your Inputs

- [Find Your Real Numbers](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-2/find-your-real-numbers.md)
- [Preparation Checklist](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-2/preparation-checklist.md)
### Get Your Data In

- [Set Up Your Sandbox](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-3/set-up-your-sandbox.md)
- [Import & Match Your Bank](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-3/import-and-match-your-bank.md)
### Make It Categorize Itself

- [TagMatcher Rules](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-4/tagmatcher-rules.md)
### Build Your Zero-Based Budget

- [Create Your First Budget](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-5/create-your-first-budget.md)
### Plan Ahead

- [Bills, Big Expenses & Sinking Funds](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-6/bills-big-expenses-and-sinking-funds.md)
### Live In Your Budget

- [Daily Tracking](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-7/daily-tracking.md)
### Understand Your Spending

- [Insights Dashboard](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-8/insights-dashboard.md)
### Keep It Accurate & Sustain It

- [Reconciliation & Sustaining Your Budget](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-9/reconciliation-and-sustaining-your-budget.md)
### Plan Your Financial Independence

- [Your FI Number](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-10/your-fi-number.md)
- [Your FI Budget](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-10/your-fi-budget.md)
### Household & Sharing

- [Share an Account With Your Partner](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-11/share-an-account.md)
- [Run the Monthly Review Together](https://budget.gnar.li/learn/every-dollars-job/module-11/run-the-monthly-review-together.md)