Most budgets fail because they track everything. The three-pot method tracks almost nothing: every pound of income lands in one of three pots, and only the third needs any attention.
Pot one: the fixed 50–60%
Rent or mortgage, bills, transport, minimum debt payments. If fixed costs exceed 60% of take-home pay, that is the single number to attack — by renegotiating bills or refinancing, not by skipping coffees.
Pot two: pay yourself 10–20%
Move savings out on payday, before anything else. An emergency buffer of one month's expenses comes first; then overpay the most expensive debt.
Pot three: the rest, guilt-free
Whatever remains is yours to spend with no tracking. Separate it onto a second card — our Standard card's round-ups quietly top up pot two while you spend.
When income is irregular
Freelancers should budget on the worst recent quarter, not the average. In good months the surplus goes straight to pot two; the pots themselves never change size mid-month.
