NewPre-Spend Check is live on iOS

Spend what'sleft after saving.

Save First is a calmer way to handle money. We move savings to the front of your month — then show you a spendable balance you can actually trust.

Download on theApp StoreSee how it works
Local-first & private
No bank linking required
Built for iPhone
The Save-First method

Most budgets fail because savings come last.

We flip the order. Money for your future leaves the math first — what's left is genuinely yours to spend, with no guilt and no spreadsheet.

Income · $3,200
1

Tell us what comes in

Add your income and the bills you can't skip — rent, subscriptions, utilities. Two minutes, no bank linking.

2

Save first, automatically

Set a savings target — a fixed dollar amount or a percent of income. It's allocated before anything else is spendable.

$2,847
3

Spend what's left, freely

Your spendable balance is the truth — everything else is taken care of. Buy the coffee. We did the math.

Inside the app

Quiet tools that do the worrying for you.

Spendable Balance

One number, total clarity.

No more guessing whether you can afford something. Save First shows you a single, trustworthy figure — what's truly left after savings and essentials.

  • Refreshed in real time as you spend
  • Accounts for upcoming bills and pay cycles
  • Visible on every screen — never hidden behind a tab
9:41100%
Spendable Balancei
$2,847.52
After savings & essentials
Next incomeFeb 28 · $3,200
February 2026
Income
+$3,200
Essentials
$1,450
Discretionary
$680
Savings
$520
Net change▲ +$550
Spend Trend
MTWTFSS
Pre-Spend Check

A 10-second second opinion.

Before you check out, type the amount. Save First tells you what happens to your month, with the math in plain language and no shame attached.

  • Shows your balance after the purchase, instantly
  • Flags risk to bills or your savings target
  • Suggests a single action — approve, wait, reduce, or skip
9:41100%

Should I buy this?

Get a quick recommendation before you spend.
Purchase amount
$85.00
Category
Entertainment▾
Type
Essential
Discretionary
💡 We'll check your spendable balance, upcoming bills, and savings targets.
Evaluate
Goals & Sinking Funds

Save for what matters, on your terms.

Build an emergency fund. Save for tuition, a trip, or a new lens. Each goal gets its own bucket and timeline — so you always know what your money is for.

  • Priority goals stay funded automatically each month
  • Sinking funds smooth out predictable big expenses
  • Progress bars + projected finish dates, not vague vibes
9:41100%
🛡️
Emergency Fund
Priority goal
$3,450
of $6,000
Target: Dec 202657% complete
Sinking Funds
🎓
Fall Tuition
Due: Sep 2026
$1,200of $5,000
24% complete
✈️
Summer Trip
Due: Jul 2026
$680of $2,000
34% complete
Transactions

Logging that doesn't feel like homework.

Add an expense in under five seconds. We learn your recurring charges, surface unusual ones, and never make you re-enter the same coffee shop twice.

  • One-tap recurring detection (rent, subscriptions, utilities)
  • Voice entry — say it, save it
  • Search, filter, and re-categorize without breaking your month
9:41100%

Transactions

+
All
Income
Expense
Today
☕
Bluestone Lane
Food & Dining · 8:42 AM
−$6.50
🚇
MTA · Subway
Transport · 8:55 AM
−$2.90
🎬
Netflix
Subscriptions · Recurring
−$15.49
Yesterday
💼
Acme Co · Salary
Income · Biweekly
+$1,600.00
9:41100%
Spendable Balancei
$2,847.52
After savings & essentials
Next incomeFeb 28 · $3,200
February 2026
Income
+$3,200
Essentials
$1,450
Discretionary
$680
Savings
$520
Net change▲ +$550
Spend Trend
MTWTFSS
01
Home

Your real spendable balance.

Savings come out first. What's left is genuinely yours — no hidden bills, no guessing.

01Home
02Pre-Spend Check
03Check Result
04Goals
05Transactions
06Plan
Scroll to explore
Tour the app

Polished, calm, surprisingly fast.

Designed for iPhone first. Every screen earns its place.

9:41100%
Spendable Balancei
$2,847.52
After savings & essentials
Next incomeFeb 28 · $3,200
February 2026
Income
+$3,200
Essentials
$1,450
Discretionary
$680
Savings
$520
Net change▲ +$550
Spend Trend
MTWTFSS
01
Home

Your real spendable balance.

Savings come out first. What's left is genuinely yours — no hidden bills, no guessing.

9:41100%

Should I buy this?

Get a quick recommendation before you spend.
Purchase amount
$85.00
Category
Entertainment▾
Type
Essential
Discretionary
💡 We'll check your spendable balance, upcoming bills, and savings targets.
Evaluate
02
Pre-Spend Check

Should I buy this?

Type any amount. Get an honest answer in under 10 seconds, with the math in plain language.

9:41100%
✓
You're good to go!
This purchase fits your budget
Purchase$85.00
New balance$2,762.52
Why this works
📉
Healthy balance
$2,762 left after this
📅
Bills covered
All clear until Feb 28
🎯
Savings on track
Emergency fund progressing
03
Check Result

Green light — or a better plan.

A clear verdict, your new balance, and one suggested action. No shame, no lecture.

9:41100%
🛡️
Emergency Fund
Priority goal
$3,450
of $6,000
Target: Dec 202657% complete
Sinking Funds
🎓
Fall Tuition
Due: Sep 2026
$1,200of $5,000
24% complete
✈️
Summer Trip
Due: Jul 2026
$680of $2,000
34% complete
04
Goals

Every goal, funded first.

Each target gets its own bucket and a projected finish date. Progress you can actually see.

9:41100%

Transactions

+
All
Income
Expense
Today
☕
Bluestone Lane
Food & Dining
−$6.50
🚇
MTA · Subway
Transport
−$2.90
🎬
Netflix
Subscriptions
−$15.49
🛒
Trader Joe's
Groceries
−$42.18
💼
Acme Co · Salary
Income
+$1,600
05
Transactions

Logging in five seconds flat.

Save First learns your recurring charges and never makes you re-enter the same coffee shop twice.

9:41100%

Save-First Plan

Monthly target
$520
16.25% of $3,200 income
Target type
Amount
Percent
Minimum buffer$300 · 9 days
Allocation
EmergencyTuitionTrip
06
Plan

Set it once. It runs itself.

Choose a fixed amount or a percentage. The plan auto-allocates across every goal, every month.

Pricing

Free to start. Affordable to go deeper.

No trials, no dark patterns. Cancel from Settings anytime.

Free

The Save-First essentials, forever.

$0/ month
  • Spendable Balance & monthly snapshot
  • Unlimited transactions
  • One savings target & one emergency fund
  • 5 Pre-Spend Checks per month
  • CSV export
Most popular

Pro

For when money has more moving parts.

$4.99/ month
  • Everything in Free
  • Unlimited Pre-Spend Checks & explanations
  • Unlimited goals & sinking funds
  • Voice entry & recurring auto-detection
  • Weekly recap & insight cards
  • Priority email support
Frequently asked

Answers, before you ask.

Traditional budgeting saves whatever's left at the end of the month — which is usually nothing. Save First flips that. We allocate your savings target as soon as income arrives, then show you the real, spendable balance underneath. You spend without guilt because the future is already taken care of.
Not in the current version. Save First is local-first — your data lives on your iPhone, not on our servers. You can add transactions in seconds with voice or one-tap shortcuts, and we'll detect recurring charges automatically. Bank linking is planned for a future release, opt-in only.
It's deterministic, not vibes. We subtract the purchase from your spendable balance, project your remaining bills and savings target through the end of the cycle, and check against the minimum buffer you set. The recommendation always shows the math behind it — no black boxes.
Yes. Save First stores your transactions, goals, and plan locally on your device by default. Optional iCloud backup is end-to-end encrypted. We don't sell data, we don't run ads, and we don't have a “growth” team. You can export everything as CSV at any time.
Android is on the roadmap. The current focus is making the iPhone experience as calm and trustworthy as possible. Join the newsletter from the App Store listing to hear when Android opens for testing.
You're not in trouble. Save First doesn't lecture you. We'll adjust the projection, suggest a smaller target if it's a pattern, and keep your goals on a realistic track. Life happens; the app is here to help you re-plan, not to score you.

Spend lighter. Save sooner.

Save First is free on the App Store. Two minutes to set up, a lifetime less to worry about.

Download on theApp Store