01
Start with your normal month
Use take-home income and the bills you actually have: housing, groceries, childcare, utilities, transport, insurance, and debt minimums. A purchase fits only after the normal month is protected.
THE REAL AFFORDABILITY CHECK
Can I afford this—or can I only afford to buy it?
Checkout asks whether your card works. Burden asks whether your household still works afterward. Use this free check before appliances, furniture, electronics, subscriptions, or any purchase big enough to change the month.
RUN THE FREE CHECKTHE BURDEN STANDARD
A purchase has to survive the month—not just checkout.
Burden weighs the price against your actual household, how often you will use it, the costs that continue after you buy it, and what happens to your emergency cushion.
02
Measure breathing room
Money left over is not automatically spending money. Some of it protects you from a repair, a sick day, a school cost, or a bill that arrives higher than expected.
03
Look past checkout
Delivery, installation, maintenance, accessories, electricity, repairs, and subscriptions can make a manageable price expensive over time.
04
Protect the emergency buffer
If buying it means the next ordinary surprise goes on a credit card, the purchase may be affordable on paper but unsafe for the household.
MONTH-AHEAD IMPACT · NOT A GRADE
Lower is safer. Higher means more strain.
The score measures how hard a purchase presses on your month. It is not a reward score. A lower number means less strain on the household.
- 10–34Lower impact
- 35–61Protect the month
- 62–95High impact
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Questions people ask before buying
If I have the cash, can I afford it?
Not always. Cash proves you can pay today. Affordability also means the rest of the month and your emergency cushion remain protected.
Does available credit count as affordability?
Credit can make a purchase possible, but the repayment still affects future months. Burden includes the payment and ongoing costs in the Month-Ahead Impact Score.
Does Burden save my financial numbers?
No account is required for the public beta. Use estimates if you prefer; the goal is a private second opinion before buying.
NO SIGN-UP · FREE PUBLIC BETA