The Tavala blog
Guides on money that crosses currencies, budgeting without a bank, paying off debt and budgeting together, with the numbers worked out. Every piece is written to a brief and edited by Dejan Bogatinovski.
- Budgeting basicsHow to make a budget that still exists in FebruaryMost January budgets die of too much detail and costly catch-ups. Start from what you spent, use few categories, and let a rough entry fill a gap., 13 min read
- Budgeting togetherSeparate accounts, shared budget: how couples budget without mergingYou do not need a joint account to budget together. Three ways to split shared bills, with the math, what to keep private, and the apps that help., 14 min read
- Budgeting basicsHow to track expenses by hand without giving up in week twoManual tracking fails when each entry costs too much. Six habits that make an entry take two seconds and let a missed week cost one line., 7 min read
- Inside TavalaWhy I built a money app that works with the network offA money app that needs a server to record a coffee has it backwards. Why Tavala keeps the books on your device, and what that costs to build., 4 min read
- Debt payoffDebt snowball vs avalanche: the numbers on three real debtsAvalanche saves interest almost every time, but on ordinary debts the gap is small and the extra you add matters more. Computed, with inputs., 10 min read
- Private budgetingBudget apps that don't connect to your bank, and what you give upA budget without a bank feed is not second-best. The options, from spreadsheets to Actual and Cashew, what each costs, and what you give up., 12 min read
- Private budgetingIs Plaid safe? What it sees, keeps, and how to remove its accessPlaid is safe enough for many people, but it is a trade - ongoing read access to your transactions. What it collects, keeps, and how to revoke it., 6 min read
- Money across currenciesWhich exchange rate goes in a budget: card, Wise, ECB or mid-market?For spending, the rate you actually paid, fee included. For balances, today's reference rate. Why, and how to record card fees and DCC., 6 min read
- Money across currenciesHow to budget in two currenciesEarn in one currency, pay rent in another, and still know what is left. The setup, the rate to use, and the two mistakes to avoid., 14 min read
Start with what you spent today.
There is no account to create and no card to enter. Pick your currency, add what you paid, and Home shows what is left.