This giveaway is now closed.
Next up is Pear Budget, created by Charlie and Sarah Park.
The great thing about this budgeting management site they’ve created is that its elegant interface echoes its simplicity. It really is so easy to use. You simply set up your budget in about 15 minutes, and you’re good to go.
Some of Pear Budget’s best features are:
- It’s completely based on a zero-based budget.
- You can fully customize your tags – there’s none of the pre-entered kind, like on Quicken.
- It’s quick and powerful – because it doesn’t do anything but budgeting, it takes mere seconds to load.
- It beautifully handles both my regular, monthly expenses and my irregular expenses that show up only several times a year.
- It uses the classic envelope system – you fill in a category’s amount, and it depletes the total as its spent.
- They’ve got a blog that regularly answers questions and provides a place to contribute your thoughts (love it!).
Because the Parks are a work-at-home mom and dad, they get how busy parents are. They know what it’s like to manage a home. And they personally relate to staring in cloudy confusion at budget software that just doesn’t work for them. They know that when you only have 15 minutes of computer time every couple hours, you’re not going to want to spend it trying to understand how to work something. You just want to update your budget, see the results clearly, and move on.
Pear Budget is only $3 a month, but this week, they want to give 2 Simple Marriage readers a free 1-year subscription! And let’s face it, budgets are sexy!
How To Enter
Leave a comment on this post answering this question: If you found a surprise $10 in your wallet, what would you do with it?
For a second entry, Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to use the url of this post and @simplemarriage so I can see it. Or to make it even easier – use the Retweet button at the bottom of this post.
This giveaway will end February 14th at Midnight CST.
Check back tomorrow for another giveaway.
Alisa and I started using PearBudget in January after seeing it on your site. Glad we clicked to check it out as we were in need of a software system for our family budget. We love the easy of use, the ability to categorize our expenses, and cost effective.
Thank you Charlie and Sarah for this great piece of software.
If I found $10 in my wallet I would spend it out the bike shop. I’d find something small for one of my bikes.
I just started following this blog and we are in the process of really “cracking down” on the family budget, so I’m happy I’ve come across Pear Budget on here! I look forward to checking it out four our family. Since we eat 99% of our meals at home, I would use that $10 to splurge on some fast food ice cream! Oh, how delicious that would be:)
Definately the year to get the budget under control, I’m staying home with my boys (aka no second income).
If I found $10 I’d probably add it to the money I’m saving up to take a dance class.
If I found $10 I would put it in my inner zippered coat pocket to use for emergency money!
I would probably get a good cup of expensive coffee, then put the rest in our savings jar.
Just started Pear Budget and loving it!
I would buy books for my two and a half year old son. Books are our “splurge” as he loves to be read to.
Really trying to start a budget with my husband. Looking at pear budget and dave ramsey. If I found a spare $10, I’d deposit it and put it towards paying off my student loan…I desperately want that thing GONE!
If I found $10 I would take my family out for ice cream, and pretend it is summer…
I have wanted to try pear budget for a long time now! If I found $10 it would be a toss up between going toward a date with my husband or buying a book. I am sure the date would win because that is what usually wins when we find extra money unexpectedly.
If I found $10 I would probably do something special for my girls.
Ten dollars in my wallet would mean a fun morning at the Bounce House for the kids while Mom gets to sit off to the side and read
If I found $10, it would go towards a date with my husband.
I just started using Pear Budget after seeing it here. I LOVE it! It’s really helping me see where the $$ goes, and it’s very affordable & safe.
If I found $10 in my wallet, it would go in my “secret stash” envelope. I started putting all my $5 bills aside in this envelope, as well as any “unexpected” money. I’m saving for a special family treat of some sort…not sure what yet, but I’ll know it when I see it.
Definitely need some kind of budgeting software and this one looks like it has my name written all over it — efficient and easy to use!
If I found an extra $10 in my wallet first of all, I would be shocked, because with 3 kids, I usually don’t have ANY cash. I would probably use it towards something I rarely splurge on…. like a ‘coffe house’ coffee or a nice take-out lunch.
Since we are currently hard at work in the process of paying off all credit debt, if I found an extra $10, I would use it to pay down some credit cards. We are having very good success with this and I think a big part of the success is keeping a budget, sticking to plan, and using snowflakes to whittle away the debt.
If I found an extra $10, I would probably steal my husband away and go for some dessert at a fancy restaurant and just talk.
My husband and I love how easy Pear Budget is to use. We have recommended it to many people, because it sure simplifies the whole budgeting “fear”.
If I found a “surprise” $10 bill in my pocket, I would probably keep it there until an emergency came up. Even though its only $10, its like a security. I know I wont spend it because its not in the budget, but I know its there if I REALLY need it.
I’d buy a really huge latte and a scone. Yummy!
We are looking for a new budgeting program so I will check out Pear Budget.
If I found an extra ten dollars, I’d keep it for something fun to come up, like lunch with a friend.
In light of current financial goals, it would be put into the budget for our family trip to Europe – in 2012!!
I would go get my hubby and I some coffee!
use it toward time away with hubby: breakfast date, coffee date, movie night…
If I found the $10, I would split it between our savings envelopes. Let’s see. That would be $2 each for Vacation, Autos, Farm, Retirement, and Hobbies. Yay!
If I found $10.00, I would use 5.00 to buy some milk and 5.00 would be put into the emergancy fund.
I’d spend the extra $10 on 3.33 months of Pear Budget or I’d try to sneak in a lunch away from my desk during tax season (no small feat). I’d love a free year of Pear Budget so I can at least try for a lunch away from my desk.
I would cook my husband a really good meal and thank him for working so hard for us in this tough economy.
Starbucks for sure!
Hmmmm, an extra $10 at this point would go to bills since that’s the most important thing at this point. I’d love to try Pear Budget. I keep hearing about how great it is! And I like that it works on the envelope system.
I am working diligently at paying off my credit card debt. If I found $10, I would put it toward my Visa and smile knowing I was honoring my committment to being debt free!
Thanks for entering me to win Pear Budget!
I’ve been wanting to try Pear budget after hearing so much about it on Simple Mom!
If I found $10 in the wallet (or pants after the drier, which is more common for me!) I would splurge a little. Buy some fabric or an unexpected treat for the family.
Thanks for the giveaway–I have a budget program, but I’m not liking it lately. I hope I win!
I’d buy a six pack of fancy beer for my hubby’s birthday today!
I know that I should put it toward paying off non-mortgage debt, but I think I would buy myself some chocolate instead! I just starting a trial of Pear Budget. I am hoping this works for us!
If I found $10 I would spend it at Starbucks–free drinks are the best:)
Grab my daughter and hit a coffee shop for some extra special Mom/daughter bonding.
If I found $10 in my wallet I’d upgrade from a bottle of Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s to a $10 bottle and sip it s-l-o-w-l-y!!
Oh my gosh that is hilarious, we completely understand that in this house!!!!!!!
If I found $10, I would buy a book for my Kindle. We are already out of consumer debt, otherwise it would go there!
I usually put it aside for coupon trips, I just found $35 from this past summer in a pair of shorts!
stick it in our cash envelope and save it. i’m wild like that.
I LOVE pearbudget. Best thing to happen to our finances this year!
If I had $10 I would go buy some nice flowers for our bedroom. It’s a splurge for us and would be nice for Valentine’s day.
Surprise $10- I’d save it. Boring. Or maybe buy my husband a few of his favorite chocolates. yum.
Either use it to go get Starbucks with the hubby or put it towards our car fund- every little bit counts right??
If I found $10, I’d probably just save it….but if I was spending it, I’d buy my wife and I each a nice fancy coffee.
If I found an extra $10 I would buy fresh flowers to put around the house. They really lift my spirits!!! I’d love to use Pear Budget, thanks for the giveaway
ohhh an extra $10. I’d have to hide it from my husband who steals all spare change to buy food. Maybe I’d grab an iced coffee or something!
I would donate it to Haiti. I have just found your website and plan to spend some time looking around.
A surprise $10… I think I would say “yay, extra money!” and go have fun with them. See a movie or something.
I’ve been using PearBudget for about a week now and love it.
If I found an extra $10 I would treat myself to a Double Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Milkshake. I made a commitment not to eat out to save money, but when you are 6 months pregnant, McDonald’s just seems to call your name!
If I found an extra $10 I would use it on food for my husband either for dinner or for groceries.
I’d offer to pay some of my children to do extra chores around the house.
I’d put it towards our debt payoff goals!
If I found a surprise $10 in my wallet, I would usually keep it hidden and pretty much forget about it again. There usually comes a time when I really need it and somehow I seem to remember it.
probably I’d buyy a better hat, ha ha. that is if my pregnancy cravings didn’t talk me into going to buy ice cream first!
Probably take the kids to Mc Donalds dollar menu
if I found a surprise $10, I’d hold on to it for a while, then eventually spend it on a treat for me or the kids…chocolate, anyone?
I was thinking I was the only one who would hide it from myself back in my wallet to be ‘suprised’/saved by it in the future when I really need a few dollars in cash. I am terrible at keeping cash in my wallet so I find myself searching under the floor mats in my car more often than I should.
I would buy a sports bra, because my husband is always begging me to upgrade my old ones.
If I found $10, I would buy myself a Starbucks treat. I’ve totally cut those out so that would be awesome!!!
Thank you so much for hosting an awesome giveaway!
If I found $10 I would hold on to it thinking of some little treat for myself, but then I always seem to give in and use it for when we need a quick lunch at a drive thru
If I found $10 in my wallet… I’d stick it in our cash jar and enter it into our budget as “overage” money. Or maybe we’d use it to go get cherry limeades at Sonic.
I will say – I’ve used Pearbudget for about 15 months now, and I love it. For those of you who don’t end up winning, I still highly recommend it. It’s worth $3/month!
I would probably use the $10 to buy a meal at a local restaurant. I generally don’t like to carry cash (and use my credit card for my daily expenses), but I refuse to use plastic at some of my favorite Mom and Pop restaurants. I know they get hit hard with the processing fees, so I prefer to use cash!
use it to help pay for a sitter for respite care
I would split the $10 between my two kids. It would be their little “bonus” to add to their “spending” money. It would certainly boost the nickel-at-a-time reward system we use.
If I found $10, I’d add it to my “music” spending category…and head straight to our local indie store to pick up a new cd
stash it in my son’s piggy bank before i spent it
Put it in our money jar that we use for vacation money.
I’d put half in my savings jar for our vacation this summer, then have fun at Good Will with the other $5 on my weekly Wednesday time out for Mom!