The final months of the year can feel like a tsunami of spending. Between back-to-school costs, holidays, travel, and social events, it’s easy to feel stressed and lose control of your budget. (In our family, we have three birthdays in the final six weeks alone!)

The good news is that MoneySwell is perfectly designed to help you regain control, even if you hate traditional budgeting.

Take 90 seconds to see how MoneySwell makes your year-end cash flow easier.

Here are three common budgeting challenges and how Jesse, Jane, and Taylor use MoneySwell to overcome them.

End-of-Year Budgeting: Three Simple Ways to Win

Focus on Awareness, Not Perfection (The “Jesse” Method)

• The Challenge: Jesse often spends more than she earns in November and December, which causes stress.
• The MoneySwell Fix: She uses Budget Planner to create a two-month plan and realizes her total imbalance is $1,500. Because her savings the rest of the year cover this amount, she can now spend comfortably, knowing her overall financial picture is healthy.
• The Takeaway: A plan—even an imperfect one—gives you confidence and reduces stress by showing you what your budget can truly handle.
  

Track Only What Matters (The “Jane” Method)

• The Challenge: Jane wants to track her holiday gift spending for 15 people but hates tracking every single expense.
• The MoneySwell Fix: Instead of a full budget, she only creates specific categories in Budget Planner for her 15 gift recipients. She syncs her transactions a few times per month and ignores all transactions unrelated to gift-giving. Her dashboard shows her overall gift spending and a breakdown by person.
• The Takeaway: You don’t have to overhaul your life. Track only the “end-of-year extras” to keep your most vulnerable spending areas in check.
  

Two Months is Enough (The “Taylor” Method)

• The Challenge: Taylor wants to max out his 401(k) and HSA contributions this year but is nervous about running out of cash before January 1st.
• The MoneySwell Fix: He decides to use the Budget Planner for just November and December. By creating a temporary plan, he confirms that, while tight, he can cover her expenses and max out his savings goals.
• The Takeaway: MoneySwell is perfect for short-term financial sprints. Use it for these critical two months to ensure you hit your major year-end financial targets.

There’s no “one way to budget.” But by putting healthy awareness on your cash flow, you can reduce stress, keep your balance sheet healthy, and genuinely enjoy whatever you choose to spend your money on.