Superviviente del Presupuesto

1. Set Your Income: Choose a monthly income between $2,000-$10,000
2. Starting Savings: Decide how much emergency fund you begin with ($0-$5,000)
3. Choose Difficulty: Easy, Medium, or Hard affects event frequency and severity

Each month you'll:

• Receive your monthly income
• Pay fixed expenses (rent, utilities, groceries, insurance)
• Face random events that require financial decisions
• Manage discretionary spending
• Try to build or maintain your emergency fund

The game demonstrates why financial experts recommend 3-6 months of expenses in savings. ^[1] {' '}Random events (car repairs, medical bills, job loss) can happen anytime, and having a buffer prevents you from going into high-interest debt.

Understanding the difference between fixed expenses (rent, insurance) and discretionary spending (entertainment, dining out) helps you identify where to cut back when needed. ^[2]

The 18% APR on credit card debt in the game reflects real-world rates. ^[3] {' '}See how quickly debt grows with compound interest and why it's important to pay it off fast.

Every $5 coffee, $200 repair, or $50 impulse purchase impacts your financial health. ^[4] {' '}The game shows how these small choices compound over a year.

Start with a goal of $1,000 for unexpected expenses, then work toward 3-6 months of living expenses. This fund protects you from going into debt when life happens.

Use apps like Mint, YNAB, or spreadsheets to categorize your expenses just like in the game. You can't manage what you don't measure.

Try the 50/30/20 rule: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for savings. ^[5] {' '}The game's fixed expenses simulate the "needs" category.

If you must use credit cards, pay them off in full each month. The compound interest shown in the game (18% APR) is typical and can quickly spiral into unmanageable debt.