How Fledge Works
A paycheck-first approach to budgeting. Set it up once, follow a simple pay-day routine, and always know exactly where your money goes.
The Fledge Philosophy
Most budgeting apps track where your money went. Fledge tells your money where to go. The idea is simple: every time you get paid, you already know exactly how much goes to savings, how much goes to investments, how much covers your bills, and how much is left for you to spend freely.
Fledge is built around the paycheck-first model. Instead of budgeting monthly and hoping the math works out, you plan per paycheck. This means every time money hits your account, you have a clear action plan — no guesswork, no anxiety.
Quick Start (5 Minutes)
Set your income
Add savings buckets
Add investments
Add expenses
Check your overview
Income
Your income setup is the foundation of everything. Enter your net pay per paycheck — that's the amount that actually lands in your bank account after taxes and deductions.
Net Pay Per Paycheck
Your take-home amount each pay period. Use the amount after taxes, health insurance, and any pre-tax deductions.
Pay Periods Per Month
How often you get paid. Most people are paid biweekly (set this to 2). If you're paid weekly, use 4.
Extra Income
Any additional monthly income like a side gig, freelance work, or a partner's contribution. Split evenly across paychecks.
Savings Buckets
Savings buckets let you earmark money for specific goals. Each bucket has a name, an optional account label, and an amount per paycheck.
Amount Per Paycheck
How much to set aside from each paycheck for this bucket. Fledge calculates the monthly total automatically.
Account
Optional label to remind you which bank account this money goes into (e.g., "Long-Term Savings", "Emergency Fund").
⚡ Auto vs Manual
Mark a bucket as "auto" if the money goes there via direct deposit split — you never touch it. Leave it manual if you need to transfer the money yourself on payday.
Investments
Track all your recurring investment contributions — retirement accounts, brokerage, crypto, whatever you invest in regularly.
Amount Per Contribution
How much you put in each time you contribute.
Frequency
How many times per month you contribute. Options: 1×, 2×, or 4× per month.
⚡ Auto vs Manual
Mark it auto only if the money is routed there via direct deposit and you never touch it. If you need to transfer money to the account first (even if it auto-withdraws after), that's still manual.
Expenses
Expenses are your recurring monthly bills and obligations — rent, utilities, subscriptions, insurance, loan payments, etc.
Smart Categorization
Start typing an expense name and Fledge automatically suggests a category. Type "Netflix" → Subscriptions. Type "Rent" → Housing.
9 Categories
Housing, Utilities, Loans & Debt, Transportation, Subscriptions, Food & Groceries, Insurance, Personal, and Other.
Enable / Disable
Temporarily disable an expense without deleting it. Useful for seasonal expenses or bills you're pausing.
⚡ Auto vs Manual
Most bills are "manual" even if they're on autopay. Why? You still need to set aside money each paycheck to cover them. Only mark something auto if the money is already routed there via direct deposit.
Understanding the Overview
The overview is your command center. It shows four key numbers at the top:
Income
Total take-home pay plus extra income.
Savings
Total going to all savings buckets.
Investments
Total investment contributions.
Expenses
Total fixed monthly bills.
The Paycheck Waterfall
Below the tiles, you'll see a step-by-step waterfall showing exactly what happens to each paycheck:
Already Handled vs. You Need to Set Aside
Already Handled
Auto-routed via direct deposit — money that goes where it needs to without you lifting a finger.
You Need to Set Aside
Manual items that require you to transfer money or make a payment. This is your pay-day action list.
Your Pay Day Routine
This is the whole point of Fledge. On pay day:
Open Fledge and check the overview
Look at "You Need to Set Aside"
Check your "Remaining" number
That's it.
Auto vs. Manual — The Lightning Bolt
Throughout the app you'll see a ⚡ lightning bolt icon next to items. This is the most important distinction in Fledge — it determines your payday to-do list.
⚡ Auto
Money that's already routed where it needs to go — typically via a direct deposit split. You never touch it. It leaves your paycheck and lands in the right account automatically.
Example: Your paycheck direct deposits $500 straight into your long-term savings account. That's auto.
Manual
Money you need to move yourself on payday. Even if the end destination auto-withdraws from an account, if you have to transfer the money there first, it's manual.
Example: Your car loan is $400/mo on autopay, but you need to set aside $200/paycheck into your bills account to cover it. That's manual.
Tips for Success
Use net pay, not gross
Enter the amount that actually hits your bank account. Pre-tax deductions like 401k and health insurance are already taken care of.
Don't budget every dollar
Your "remaining" is your breathing room — groceries, gas, eating out, entertainment. If it's negative, you're overcommitted.
Simplify your payday
The fewer manual items on your payday list, the easier it is. Set up direct deposit splits to auto-route savings where possible.
Review monthly, not daily
Fledge isn't a transaction tracker. Set it up, follow your payday routine, and adjust once a month if anything changes.
If remaining is negative
You're spending more than you earn. Start by reducing expenses or increasing income. Fledge makes it obvious where to cut.
Pay yourself first
Savings and investments come out before expenses for a reason — this ensures you're building wealth before spending on bills.
Advanced: Multi-Account Strategy
Once you're comfortable with Fledge, consider organizing your bank accounts to match your budget. Here's a popular setup:
Checking Account
Where your paycheck lands. Day-to-day spending money.
Your "remaining" lives here. This is your guilt-free spending account — groceries, gas, fun.
Monthly Bills Account
Set-aside money for all your fixed monthly expenses.
On payday, transfer your "You Need to Set Aside" amount here. Bills autopay from this account. It acts as a holding tank — money comes in from you, goes out to billers.
Long-Term Savings Account
Your savings goals — emergency fund, vacation, big purchases.
Set up a direct deposit split so money goes here automatically. Mark these buckets as ⚡ auto in Fledge since you never touch the money.
How This Maps to Fledge
FAQ
What about variable expenses like groceries?
Those come out of your "remaining" amount. Only add fixed, predictable monthly bills to the Expenses section. Your remaining is your flexible spending budget.
I get paid biweekly (26 paychecks/year), not twice a month. What do I set?
Set pay periods to 2. Twice a year you'll get a "bonus" third paycheck in a month. Use that for extra savings, investing, or fun.
My 401k comes out of my paycheck pre-tax. Should I add it?
If your net pay already excludes your 401k contribution, you don't need to add it as an investment (it's already handled). Only add it if you want to see the full picture.
Can I use Fledge for irregular income?
Yes. Use your lowest typical paycheck as your "net pay per paycheck" and add any additional income as "extra income." Update it as your income changes.
What if my partner and I share finances?
Enter one person's paycheck as the primary income and the other's as extra income. Or combine both into one "household paycheck" figure.
How is this different from YNAB or Mint?
Fledge doesn't connect to your bank or track individual transactions. It's a planning tool, not a tracking tool. Set up your budget once, follow the pay-day routine, and you're done.
Ready to take control?
Set up your budget in 5 minutes and never wonder where your money went again.