the payday system · $29 · one-time
Every paycheck, planned in five minutes. Every day, one honest number.
The Payday System is a complete money workspace built around how you're actually paid. Eight tabs, zero of them needy. Works in Google Sheets and Excel; undated, so it never expires.
Instant download · light + dark editions · getting-started guide included · 30-day guarantee
The tour, tab by tab.
1 · Start Here
Fifteen minutes of setup, explained like a friend would. The one rule: shaded cells are yours, everything else fills itself in.
2 · Dashboard
Your Safe to Spend number, next payday, bills due in the next 14 days, month spending, savings, debt, net worth — all computed, nothing to type.
3 · Paycheck Plan
The heart. One row per paycheck: what it covers, what's left. The current check glows green; an over-committed check turns red before it becomes an overdraft.
4 · Bill Calendar
Every recurring bill with its due day. The sheet computes the next due date and flags anything due within a week. Late fees hate this tab.
5 · Spending Log
Three columns that matter: when, what, how much. Categories optional — this is a log, not a confessional.
6 · Savings Goals
Per-goal targets with per-paycheck contributions and honest progress percentages. Goals fund themselves when they're part of every check.
7 · Debt Payoff
Your debts, months-to-payoff at the payment you choose, snowball guidance. (Want snowball vs avalanche fully compared? That's the Debt Payoff Toolkit.)
8 · Net Worth
One row a month, four rough numbers, and the quiet satisfaction of watching the line move. Direction beats precision.
What the Dashboard looks like in use.
| Safe to spend right now | Next payday | Bills due in next 14 days |
|---|---|---|
| $312 | Jul 17 — in 2 days | $1,430 |
| Spent this month: $1,184 | Saved toward goals: $2,150 | Net worth: $14,730 |
What's in the download.
- payday-system-light.xlsx and payday-system-dark.xlsx — identical inside; your eyes pick.
- getting-started.pdf — import steps for Google Sheets, the payday ritual, and fixes for the classic “I typed over a formula” moment.
- A license for you and your household, forever. Future fixes included — it's a file, not a service.
Details people ask about.
Will it work with my pay schedule?
Yes — weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or fully irregular. The plan is a list of checks, not a calendar grid, so any pattern fits. It handles two jobs or a couple's mixed schedules fine on one sheet.
Does it connect to my bank?
No, deliberately. Nothing to authorize, nothing to breach, nothing to break when a bank changes its API. You type what you spend; the sheet does everything else.
Is it really undated?
Really. No 2026 anywhere. You enter pay dates as they come, and the bill calendar computes due dates from today, whenever today is.
Phone friendly?
The Google Sheets app works for the two things you do daily — glancing at Safe to Spend and logging a purchase. Payday planning is nicer on a bigger screen.
Excel version caveats?
None — it ships as native .xlsx with portable formulas (no macros, no add-ins, nothing exotic). Excel 2019, 365, and Google Sheets all verified.