Frequently asked questions
How the simulation works, what its results mean and what happens to the information you enter.
Start your simulationBuilding your plan
What should I enter as my starting amount?
Enter only the amount you genuinely want to consider available for this goal. Leave out savings you want to keep untouched as an emergency fund or reserve.
What is a “normal month”?
It is your usual monthly income and expenses before exceptional movements. Budget4 uses it as the recurring baseline for every simulated month.
Can I include annual bills, bonuses or temporary changes?
Yes. After calculating the first result, choose “Refine your plan” and add monthly, annual or one-time income and expense events with the dates on which they apply.
Do I need an account?
No. Budget4 can be used without registering or signing in.
Understanding the result
How is the target date calculated?
Budget4 runs a deterministic month-by-month simulation. For each month it starts from the current balance, applies normal income, normal expenses and any active financial events, then checks whether the ending balance covers the goal.
What does “Not within 30 years” mean?
The balance did not reach the target during the maximum 360-month simulation horizon. It does not mean the goal is impossible; only that the plan entered does not reach it within that period.
What happens if the projected balance becomes negative?
The simulation continues because a future event may still make the goal reachable. Budget4 highlights the first negative month so you can inspect and refine the plan.
Does Budget4 deduct the purchase when I reach the goal?
No. The MVP answers when the goal becomes affordable. It does not automatically deduct the target or simulate your financial life after the purchase.
How do What-if scenarios work?
A What-if scenario is a temporary logical copy of the current plan. Both the original and alternative are calculated with the same monthly engine, and the original values are unchanged unless you explicitly apply the alternative.
What Budget4 does—and does not do
Does Budget4 store my financial data?
No. Your scenario is sent to the Budget4 backend to calculate the result, but the MVP does not persist simulation inputs in a database.
Is Budget4 financial advice?
No. Budget4 is an educational planning tool based only on the information you enter. Its output is an estimate and does not replace advice from a qualified professional.
Are inflation and investment returns included?
No. The MVP deliberately excludes inflation, interest and investment returns. This keeps the monthly cash-flow engine deterministic and avoids introducing assumptions you did not choose.
Can I save or share a scenario?
Not in the MVP. Scenarios live only in the current page state and are lost when the page is closed or refreshed. Local save and sharing are possible future milestones.
Start with the four essentials.
You can refine the plan after your first result.