01
Use dependable take-home income
Start with income you can reasonably count on. Treat irregular overtime, gifts, and uncertain support carefully so the purchase does not depend on money that may not arrive.
WHEN ONE INCOME CARRIES THE HOME
Protect the income that has to do every job.
For a single parent or one-income household, leftover money often has several jobs at once. Burden keeps the normal month, emergency cushion, and costs after checkout visible before a purchase takes their place.
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
Enter the real normal month
Include housing, groceries, childcare, utilities, transport, insurance, and debt minimums. Do not shrink the household on paper just to make the purchase fit.
03
Leave room for ordinary surprises
School costs, medication, a missed shift, a car repair, or a higher utility bill are not personal failures. Breathing room is part of the budget.
04
Solve the need at lower impact
Compare repair, used, open-box, rental, borrowing, a simpler option, or waiting. The best answer is the one that solves the problem without making next month fragile.
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
Is Burden only for single parents?
No. It works for any household, but the month-ahead check is especially useful when one dependable income carries most or all essential costs.
Should child support count as income?
Use only the amount and timing you can responsibly rely on. If payments are inconsistent, a conservative estimate protects the household from depending on missing money.
Does Burden send my household numbers anywhere?
No. The income, must-pay costs, and emergency savings used for the check are calculated in your browser and are not saved to Burden.
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