# PaydayCompass

> Your first paycheck deserves a plan. Know what you can spend today and still feel okay in 90 days. Free to try, no bank login needed.

PaydayCompass (https://payday.tlcompass.com) is a decision-first personal finance application tailored for young professionals, recent college graduates, and anyone navigating their first full-time salary. Unlike traditional retroactive budgeting tools that demand bank logins and category tracking, PaydayCompass focuses on upfront cash allocation before money is spent.

## Core Philosophy: The 4-Bucket Cash Allocation Model

Traditional rules like the 50/30/20 rule (50% Needs, 30% Wants, 20% Savings) fail entry-level earners because fixed living costs (rent, student loans, transit) frequently consume 60-70% of early take-home pay.

PaydayCompass replaces rigid percentages with a realistic, sequential formula:

```text
[Take-Home Pay (P)] - [Hard Costs (H)] = [Flexible Cash (R)]
```

Where:
- **Hard Costs (H)**: Non-negotiable obligations due before next payday (rent, utilities, minimum loan payments, essential groceries, commute transit).
- **Discretionary Remainder (R)**: The actual flexible cash pool split across three forward-looking buckets:
  1. **Buffer (B)**: Immediate liquidity reserve against unexpected bills and overdrafts.
  2. **Goal (G)**: Focused progress toward a single tangible financial milestone (emergency fund, debt paydown, or specific savings).
  3. **Joy / Celebrate (J)**: Guilt-free spending money to celebrate earnings without financial anxiety.

## The Four Allocation Archetypes

1. **Play it Safe**
   - Split of Flexible Cash: 60% Buffer / 15% Goal / 25% Joy (Joy max 30%)
   - Best for: High-rent environments, unpredictable initial expenses, or maximizing safety buffers first.
2. **Balanced**
   - Split of Flexible Cash: 35% Buffer / 30% Goal / 35% Joy (Joy max 40%)
   - Best for: Balanced lifestyle giving equal attention to safety, future goals, and guilt-free celebration.
3. **Goal First**
   - Split of Flexible Cash: 20% Buffer / 55% Goal / 25% Joy (Joy max 30%)
   - Best for: Aggressive single-goal achievement (starter emergency fund, student loans, or moving fund).
4. **Enjoy**
   - Split of Flexible Cash: 15% Buffer / 15% Goal / 70% Joy (Joy max 75%)
   - Best for: Celebrating hard-earned milestones with full transparency on safety trade-offs.

## Deterministic 90-Day Simulation & Goal Modeling

PaydayCompass provides transparent, deterministic multi-period simulations:
- **30-Day Coverage (Free)**: Validates bill coverage and buffer accumulation through the next payday.
- **90-Day Horizon (Pro)**: Projects buffer accumulation, celebration pool, and goal progress across 3 pay periods under constant assumptions:
  ```text
  accumulatedGoalContribution = goalAmountPerPayPeriod × 3
  progress = min((currentSaved + accumulatedGoalContribution) / targetAmount, 1) × 100%
  ```
- **Guaranteed Boundary Handling**: Fully handles edge cases including $0 targets, savings exceeding goals (capped at 100%), and skipped goals without distortion.

## Key Links and Resources

- [PaydayCompass Home](https://payday.tlcompass.com/): Overview and interactive simulation.
- [Interactive Paycheck Planner](https://payday.tlcompass.com/plan): Free 2-minute paycheck allocation tool.
- [How to Budget Your First Paycheck](https://payday.tlcompass.com/first-paycheck-budget): Step-by-step beginner guide.
- [Paycheck Budget Calculator](https://payday.tlcompass.com/paycheck-budget-calculator): Dedicated calculation tool for take-home pay splits.
- [How to Split Your First Paycheck](https://payday.tlcompass.com/how-to-split-first-paycheck): Tactical allocation breakdown.
- [First Job Budget Guide](https://payday.tlcompass.com/first-job-budget-guide): Complete financial handbook for new graduates.
- [Methodology](https://payday.tlcompass.com/methodology): Full mathematical and behavioral design rationale.

## Privacy and Pricing

- **Privacy**: No bank account linking required (Plaid-free). Calculates locally on your device with optional account sync.
- **Pricing**: Free interactive plan preview forever. PDF paycheck plan export with Pro ($4.99 one-time lifetime purchase), unlocking 90-day horizon full projections, printable PDF reports, and comparison deliverables. No recurring subscriptions.