Era Basics: Budgeting, savings, and debt

October 5, 2023

Lindsay Brady
Co-founder & COO

Era, the all-in-one financial management tool designed to help you make more of your money, can do a lot. As Era gets to know you, your habits, and your goals, we’ll have a true, 360° view of your finances. Then, we take the guesswork out of planning your finances by allowing you to truly manage your money, all in one place. We’ve brought together financial planning and action, so you can make your money do more.

It all happens with plain language. Just ask questions or give commands about your own personal finances. Want to save more? Tell Era to move money into a savings account each week. Need a deeper understanding of your expenses? Ask Era how your spending has changed over the last few months. You can go beyond personal finances, too. Have a conversation with Era about the news or for an opinion on how current events might affect the market and your finances, and make better decisions based on better information.

But with so many commands you can give and questions you can ask, it begs the question — where should you start? On day one, once you connect your accounts, we recommend using Era to craft a budget, build your savings, and pay down debt.

Budgeting

Budgeting is one of the most important things you can do as you begin your personal finance journey. To start, you can dive deeper on budgeting tips and tricks or simply talk to Era.

Questions like “How much am I spending on bills every month? What percentage of my income are those expenses?” will provide a helpful baseline for understanding how much you’re spending on necessities, versus paying off debt or things you do for fun.

Try “How has my spending changed over the last 6 months?” and with one question, you’ll have a nuanced understanding of your spending habits. If Era notes your spending on coffee has gone up 5x over 6 months, tell Era to build a plan for you to save up for a nice espresso machine. We can have coffee at home.

Or ask Era something like “What recurring payments or subscriptions do I have?” On average, people spend more than 2.5 times on subscriptions than what they thought they were paying — probably because no one wants to go line by line through credit card statements to track all their subscriptions. And with Era, you won’t have to.

No one should have to go through their bank or credit card statements to find out all the subscriptions they have, and with Era, you won’t have to.

Savings

A good goal for most people is to have three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved in an easily accessible account for emergencies. If you don’t know how to get there, ask Era.

How much money are three months’ worth of living expenses for me? How much would I need to save per month over the next 6 months to get there?” You can also give Era commands. Tell Era “Every 2 weeks, maintain a balance of $1,000 in my checking account and move the rest into my savings accounts,” or “Move $100 from my checking account to my savings account every Friday.

Either way, you’ll be making better financial choices without ever having to worry about it.

And because we know you’re saving for more than just an emergency — maybe you want to go on vacation, save for retirement, or buy holiday gifts for friends and family — Era’s ready to help. All you have to do is ask — or tell!

Debt

Paying off debt has traditionally been hard. Whether it’s credit card debt, student loans, or a car loan, it’s something a lot of us deal with. In fact, more than half of Americans have been in debt at some point in their lives. But that’s why you have Era.

Tell Era “Tell me which credit card I should pay off first and how much I should pay each month. Make sure payments are included in my budget” and Era will assess your credit cards’ interest rates, total amount due, and take action when you tell it to.

If you have student loan debts, Era can help you build a plan. Try “How much do I need to pay towards student loan debts per month to minimize interest payments?” If you have a goal in mind, simply ask Era how much you’ll need to allocate each week towards student loan payments to be debt free in 15 years (or whenever your goal is). And like savings, Era can make recurring transfers to help pay off debt so you can worry less about finances.

Sound helpful? Get started. Curious about what else Era can do for you? Hit us up at questions@era.app.