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Payday Buffer by Money Detective

A payday budget planner for the money between paydays.

Payday Buffer helps you give each part of your pay a job before you spend it. It is a simple Excel spreadsheet that accounts for the bills, everyday essentials, upcoming expenses and savings contributions you choose to include, then shows you what may be left. Built for Australian households, whether you are paid weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly or monthly.

Get Payday Buffer for $16.95

One-off purchase. No subscription. Secure payment by Stripe.

Not sure yet? Try the free Payday Check first.

One-off purchase$16.95 AUD

Personal household useMake personal copies and backups

Basic setup supportHelp with access and getting started

Digital workbook. No subscription. Payday Buffer is a planning tool, not financial advice.

You get paid. The account balance looks okay. Then you start trying to remember everything that needs to come out before the next payday: bills, groceries, fuel, the direct debit due next week, rego, insurance, school costs and savings. It is easy to look at the money in your account and accidentally treat it all like it is available.

Payday Buffer on a laptop showing the Dashboard with an example household: $80 Safe to Spend until the next payday from $5,695 available, with bills before payday, Emergency Fund progress and where this payday goes. Speech bubbles read: See what's left after planned expenses, and Where did all of my money go?

Dashboard. See what needs to be covered before you decide what may be left. Example household. Tap to enlarge

Does this sound familiar?

You get paid, make plans, and then the money disappears.

You get paid. The balance looks better. You start thinking about the things you have been putting off.

That item you have had your eye on.
A dinner out with friends.
A small treat for the family.
The feeling of not having to say, ‘Maybe next pay.’

Then the ordinary expenses start arriving.

  • Bills
  • Groceries
  • Fuel
  • Direct debits
  • The next expense you had forgotten was getting close

By the end of the pay cycle, there is much less left than you expected.

Not because you were careless.

Because the money that looked available at the start was already needed in more places than you could see.

That can become exhausting. You start payday feeling hopeful, then spend the rest of the cycle trying to work out what needs to stay in the account until you are paid again.

The problem is not always the money coming in.

Sometimes the problem is that your bank balance does not show the jobs already attached to that money. If the money keeps running out before payday, our guide to what to do when you run out of money before payday may help, and cost of living in Australia looks at which prices are rising.

BillsJob
GroceriesJob
FuelJob
Upcoming costsJob
Enjoyable spendingWhat may be left

Payday Buffer helps you account for the bills, everyday essentials, upcoming expenses and optional savings contributions you choose to include before deciding what may be left.

See what this payday needs to cover

Or get Payday Buffer for $16.95. One-off purchase. No subscription.

Alex, founder of Money Detective

I did not need another budget. I needed an answer on payday.

I was not looking for a spreadsheet that told me where I spent money three months ago.

I wanted to know what the money in my account had to cover before the next payday.

I was tired of doing the same mental maths every time I got paid. I would see the balance, feel relieved for a minute, then start subtracting bills, food, fuel, direct debits and expenses that were coming up later.

The problem was not that I had no money. The problem was that I could not clearly see what part of it was already spoken for.

So I built a simple way to turn payday into a plan.

Alex, founder of Money Detective

What changes

Make payday feel less like a mental juggling act.

Give the money a job first, then see what may be left.

Stop second-guessing every purchase.
Know what needs protecting before the money disappears.
Get the household money maths out of your head.
See the plan before the bills start coming out.
Feel more prepared for the costs you know are coming.
Start the pay cycle with a clearer picture.
See it work

Here is $5,220. Here is what needs protecting. Here is what is left.

Here is what may be left.

$353
Estimated Safe to Spend
Already has a job: $4,867Left: $353
  • Bills before next payday, with safety cushion−$3,562
  • Upcoming expenses−$720
  • Essential living money−$525
  • Emergency Fund contribution−$60
The Payday Buffer Dashboard with example figures: $353 Safe to Spend until next payday, $118 per day, next payday Thu 15 Oct 2026, and where this payday goes: $5,220 available, $3,238 bills plus a $324 safety cushion, $720 upcoming expenses and $525 everyday essentials.

Dashboard. What may be left until payday, per day and per week, and where this payday goes. Example household. Tap to enlarge

Safe to Spend is the amount remaining after the bills, essential spending, planned set-asides and optional savings contributions you choose to include have been accounted for.

Safe to Spend is a planning estimate based on the figures you enter. It does not connect to your bank account or know about any bill or expense you have not entered, and it is not financial advice. Keep your bills and expenses up to date for the most useful estimate.

This is not about saying no to everything

It is about knowing what you can say yes to.

When you can see what needs to be covered first, you are less likely to accidentally spend money that was already needed for bills or upcoming expenses.

And when there is money left after the essentials and set-asides you choose, you can enjoy it with a clearer understanding of what has already been allowed for.

  • A takeaway dinner
  • A night out
  • Something for the kids
  • That item you have been putting off
  • A little more breathing room

Payday Buffer does not make decisions for you.

It helps you stop relying on a bank balance that does not show the whole picture.

Plan my next payday

Payday Buffer, $16.95. One-off purchase. No subscription.

How it works

A clearer plan in a few steps.

Work through the tabs from left to right. Only type in the yellow cells.

Watch the walkthrough. The main tabs in under a minute, with on-screen captions and no audio. Example household. Figures are illustrative and depend on what you enter. Safe to Spend is a planning estimate based on the figures you enter.

Plan my next payday

Payday Buffer, $16.95. One-off purchase. No subscription.

  1. Add the income available for this pay cycle and pick your next payday.
  2. List the bills and direct debits due before your next payday.
  3. Allow for essential living money, such as groceries and fuel.
  4. Set aside money for upcoming or irregular expenses, and choose whether to add a bill safety cushion or Emergency Fund contribution.
  5. Review your Payday Plan and Safe to Spend estimate.

You are done when you can see your Payday Plan and Safe to Spend estimate for the next pay cycle.

The Your Pay tab: how often you are paid, your next payday and the money available before your next payday, with yellow cells to fill in.

Your Pay. When you are paid and what is coming in. Example household. Tap to enlarge

The Living Money tab on a laptop with example essentials: groceries, fuel and transport, kids and school, medical and pharmacy, pets and other essentials, with spare yellow rows for anything else, totalling $1,185. Speech bubbles read: Don't forget everyday essentials, and Plan your spending before payday.

Living Money. Everyday essentials until your next payday, with spare rows for anything else. Example household. Tap to enlarge

The Bills Before Payday tab with example bills: mortgage, electricity, phone, internet, car loan, Netflix, health insurance and Anytime Fitness, each with an amount, due date and whether it is paid yet. $3,238.18 of bills before next payday.

Bills Before Payday. List what is due before your next payday. Mark a bill as paid once it has left your account. Example household. Tap to enlarge

The Emergency Fund tab on a laptop: an example target of $2,000 with $860 saved so far, 43% progress, $100 moved across each payday and 12 paydays estimated until the goal. Speech bubbles read: Build your emergency fund, and See how many paydays to your goal.

Emergency Fund. Optional. Set a target and see how many paydays it takes. Example household. Tap to enlarge

The Payday Plan tab on a laptop with an example household: $6,200 available, $2,461.50 for bills, $1,765 for upcoming expenses, $1,185 for everyday essentials and $200 for the Emergency Fund, leaving a Safe to Spend estimate of $588.50 until next payday, about $343 per week and $49 per day. A speech bubble reads: See what you can spend before next payday.

Payday Plan. What to protect, what to keep and your Safe to Spend estimate. Example household. Safe to Spend is a planning estimate based on the figures you enter. Tap to enlarge

All figures on this page are illustrative examples. Yours will depend on the amounts you enter.

Pay cycles

A pay cycle budget spreadsheet for weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly or monthly pay.

Payday Buffer is a budget planner built around each pay, not the calendar month. You choose how often you are paid, enter your next payday, and the workbook plans the time between today and that payday.

  • Weekly: choose Weekly and enter your next payday.
  • Fortnightly: choose Fortnightly and enter your next payday.
  • 4-weekly: choose 4-weekly and enter your next payday. 4-weekly means you are paid every 28 days, so 13 paydays a year.
  • Monthly: choose Monthly and enter your next payday. Monthly means you are paid on the same date each month. You can also enter the usual day of the month you are paid, but you do not have to.

What you enter depends on the tab:

  • Everyday essentials (Living Money tab), such as groceries and fuel: enter one pay cycle's worth. If you are paid weekly, that is a week's worth. If you are paid 4-weekly, that is four weeks' worth. If you are paid monthly, that is a month's worth.
  • Bills (Bills Before Payday tab): list only the bills that will come out between now and your next payday. Mark a bill as paid once it has left your account. Regular bills you have not been saving for, like subscriptions, phone and fortnightly deductions, go here.
  • Upcoming and annual costs (Upcoming Expenses tab): enter each one once, with how often it comes up, what it costs and when it is next due. Payday Buffer works out how much to put aside from this pay, taking into account anything you have already saved. Big bills you have been saving for, like house insurance, go here with the amount saved so far, so they are not counted twice.

Each payday, start with the Your Pay and Bills Before Payday tabs, then check the rest. If you are paid fortnightly but most of your bills are monthly, our guide to budgeting fortnightly when your bills are monthly explains how to think about it. If you are new to pay-cycle budgeting, start with how to budget fortnightly, what safe to spend means and a worked pay cycle.

Irregular expenses

Set aside money each payday for annual and irregular bills.

If you are checking which regular and less-frequent expenses to plan for, the Australian household bills checklist can help you build your list first, and our guide on how to budget for annual bills explains the calculation. For everyday spending, the free fortnightly budget lets you plan each pay by category. Our sinking funds guide explains how much to put aside each payday, and how to save money in Australia covers the bigger picture.

Add each bigger cost once, with how often it comes up, what it costs, when it is next due and anything you have already saved. Payday Buffer works out what to put aside from this pay so the money has a better chance of being there when it is due. For tracking due dates and renewals on your regular bills, our Household Bill Tracker spreadsheet is built for that.

  • Rego
  • Insurance
  • School costs
  • Car servicing
  • Vet bills
  • Christmas
  • Annual subscriptions
The Upcoming and Irregular Expenses tab on a laptop, with example costs such as car registration, car insurance, council rates, school fees, Christmas, vet expenses and holidays, each with how often, expected cost, due date, amount already saved and what to put aside this payday: $2,289 in total. Speech bubbles read: No more surprise bills, and See what to set aside each payday.

Upcoming costs. What to put aside this payday for each one, so the money is there when it is due. Example household. Tap to enlarge

What it does

Built for real life between paydays.

If you are trying to budget between paydays, the workbook keeps the next pay cycle in focus: what is coming in, what must be covered, what you want to set aside and what may remain.

Weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly and monthly payPlan around your actual pay cycle, from now until your next payday.
More than one household incomeSeparate lines for your pay, a partner's pay, Centrelink or family payments, child support and other income.
Bills due before next paydayAccount for bills before they are due, so they are less likely to be confused with spare spending money.
Paid and unpaid billsMark a bill as paid once it has left your account and it stops being protected.
Optional bill safety cushionAdd a little extra room in case a bill like electricity or water comes in higher.
Essential living moneyInclude groceries, fuel, kids, medical and pets before deciding what may be available to spend.
Upcoming and irregular expensesMonthly, quarterly, six-monthly, annual and one-off costs, with repeating ones rolled forward once the due date passes.
Per-payday set-aside amountsSee how much to put aside this payday, taking into account money you have already saved towards each cost.
Optional Emergency Fund planningSet a target, track what is saved and choose how much to move across each pay.
Shortfall warningIf the amounts you entered are more than the money available, the Payday Plan shows how short it is and the biggest pressure.
Date-ordered payday viewA timeline of what is coming out between today and your next payday.
Payday Plan and DashboardWhat to protect, what to keep and your Safe to Spend estimate, plus a per-day and per-week figure and a setup checklist.
Find missed bills (optional)Paste a bank statement to spot repeating charges you have not added yet. It never changes your Safe to Spend.
Manual entry, no bank connectionYou type your own figures. Nothing links to your bank or reads your accounts.
Who it is for

Payday Buffer may be for you if...

  • You get paid but still feel unsure what you can actually spend.
  • You are tired of mentally subtracting bills from your account balance.
  • You have tried budgets before but found them too detailed or hard to keep up with.
  • You want to plan for rego, insurance, school costs, Christmas, car costs or annual bills before they become a problem.
  • You share household costs with a partner or have more than one income source.
  • You want a practical payday plan, not another guilt-inducing finance system.
  • You want a clearer view of the money between this payday and the next one.

It is probably not for you if you want:

  • An app that syncs with your bank automatically
  • A spreadsheet designed for apps other than Microsoft Excel
  • More detailed budget tracking, such as a record of what you actually spent, a budget-vs-actual comparison or savings goals (that is what Fortnightly Budget Plus is for)
  • Personalised financial advice or financial counselling
  • Investment, loan or super recommendations
Choosing between them

Payday Buffer or Fortnightly Budget Plus?

Both are Excel spreadsheets, and you type your own figures into both. They answer different questions.

Payday Buffer

What does this pay need to cover before my next payday, and what may be left?

  • Looks ahead from today to your next payday
  • Bills due before payday, everyday essentials, upcoming and annual costs, an optional bill safety cushion and an optional Emergency Fund contribution
  • A Safe to Spend planning estimate, and a shortfall warning if the amounts you enter are more than the money available
  • An optional Import Transactions tab that lists repeating charges you have not added yet, so you can catch a missed bill. It does not sort your spending into categories and it does not change your Safe to Spend.

Fortnightly Budget Plus

How is my spending going compared with my budget?

  • A budget for each category, compared with what you actually spent
  • Optional bank transaction import that sorts your transactions into your budget categories
  • Savings goals

If you want to know what this pay needs to cover before your next payday, Payday Buffer is built for that. If you want to compare a budget with what you actually spent, that is what Fortnightly Budget Plus is for. Not sure which suits you? See how to choose a budget spreadsheet, or browse all Money Detective budget spreadsheets.

Why start now

Your next payday is the best time to start.

You do not need to go back through months of bank statements.

You do not need to build a perfect budget.

Start with the money coming in next, add what it needs to cover before the following payday, and make a clearer plan from there.

The next payday is coming either way. Payday Buffer gives you a simple place to plan for it before the money gets pulled in too many directions.

Get Payday Buffer for $16.95

One-off purchase. No subscription.

What you receive

One simple price. No subscription.

Payday Buffer by Money Detective

$16.95
AUD, one-off purchase
  • Payday Buffer digital workbook (.xlsx for Microsoft Excel)
  • Read Me and setup instructions inside the workbook
  • Personal-use licence for you and your household
  • Basic product and setup support from Money Detective
  • Download link shown straight after payment is confirmed, with a copy emailed to you. It arrives as a ZIP file containing the .xlsx workbook: unzip it, then open it in Microsoft Excel.
Get Payday Buffer for $16.95

One-off purchase. No subscription. Secure payment by Stripe.

Digital download: change-of-mind refunds are not generally offered. If the file is faulty or not as described, we will help. Refund policy.

Licence: Your purchase includes a personal-use licence for you and your household. You may make copies or backups for your own household use. You may not share the workbook with other households, redistribute it, resell it, upload it publicly, or reproduce it commercially. Full licence.
Software compatibility

Designed for Microsoft Excel.

Payday Buffer is a standard Excel workbook (.xlsx), designed for Microsoft Excel.

  • No macros, VBA, add-ins, Power Query or data connections. There is nothing extra to install, and nothing in the workbook pulls data from the internet.
  • Manual entry only: you type your own figures. Nothing connects to your bank.
  • A desktop or laptop is recommended for setup.

Questions about your setup? Email hello@moneydetective.com.au. To see what our tools and spreadsheets do with the figures you enter, read how our tools work.

FAQ

Questions before you buy

What is Payday Buffer?

Payday Buffer is a one-off digital spreadsheet workbook for planning your next payday. You enter the money available, the bills due before your next payday, essential living money, upcoming expenses and any savings you want to include. It then shows a Payday Plan and a Safe to Spend planning estimate.

What does Safe to Spend mean?

Safe to Spend is the amount remaining after the bills, essential spending, planned set-asides and optional savings contributions you choose to include have been accounted for.

Safe to Spend is a planning estimate based on the figures you enter. It does not connect to your bank account or know about any bill or expense you have not entered, and it is not financial advice. Keep your bills and expenses up to date for the most useful estimate.

What do I need to use Payday Buffer?

You need Microsoft Excel to open Payday Buffer. It is a standard .xlsx workbook with no macros or add-ins, and it is not designed for other spreadsheet apps. A computer is recommended for setup.

Is Payday Buffer an app?

No. It is a spreadsheet you open in Microsoft Excel and type your own figures into. It does not connect to your bank and nothing syncs.

Can I try it before I buy?

There is no free trial of the workbook itself. The screenshots on this page are from the real workbook with example figures, and the free Payday Check is a quick way to see the idea in action first.

Does Payday Buffer work with Microsoft Excel?

Yes. Payday Buffer is designed for Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and has no macros.

Does Payday Buffer use macros or require add-ins?

No. There are no macros, VBA, add-ins, Power Query or external data connections, so there is nothing extra to install.

Do I need to connect my bank account?

No. Payday Buffer never connects to your bank. You type your own figures.

How does transaction import work?

It is an optional tab called Import Transactions. You paste in rows from a bank statement and it lists repeating charges that are not on your bill lists yet, so you can add any you missed. The free Bank Statement Converter can turn a PDF statement into rows you can copy. It does not sort your spending into categories, it never changes your Safe to Spend, and it can miss charges whose descriptions change each time.

Do I have to import transactions?

No. It is completely optional. The Payday Plan works without it.

How is Payday Buffer different from Fortnightly Budget Plus?

Both are Excel spreadsheets where you type your own figures. Payday Buffer looks ahead from today to your next payday and shows a Safe to Spend planning estimate after your bills, everyday essentials and upcoming costs. Fortnightly Budget Plus compares a budget for each category with what you actually spent, and includes savings goals and an optional bank transaction import that sorts your transactions into categories. Payday Buffer also has an optional Import Transactions tab, but it only lists repeating charges you have not added yet and never changes your Safe to Spend.

Can I use it if I am paid weekly?

Yes. Choose Weekly and pick your next payday. The plan runs from today until that payday.

Can I use it if I am paid fortnightly?

Yes. Choose Fortnightly and pick your next payday.

Can I use it if I am paid monthly?

Yes. Choose Monthly and pick your next payday. You can also enter the usual day of the month you are paid. If you are paid every 28 days instead of on the same date each month, choose 4-weekly.

Can I include my partner's income?

Yes. There is a separate line for a partner's pay.

Can I include Centrelink, child support or other income?

Yes. There are separate lines for Centrelink or family payments, child support and other income, plus any unallocated money you are carrying over.

How are irregular expenses handled?

On the Upcoming Expenses tab you add each cost, how often it comes up (monthly, quarterly, six-monthly, annual or one-off), the expected cost, when it is next due and anything already saved. Payday Buffer spreads the amount still needed across the paydays left and shows what to put aside this payday. Repeating costs roll forward once their due date passes.

What if I have already been saving for a big bill, like house insurance?

Put it on the Upcoming Expenses tab, not Bills Before Payday. Enter the cost, the due date and how much you have saved so far. Payday Buffer only sets aside what is still needed, so a bill you have fully saved for adds nothing to this payday's set-aside. Use Bills Before Payday for regular bills you have not been saving for, like subscriptions, phone and fortnightly deductions.

What happens if I do not have enough money to cover everything?

The Payday Plan shows how short the plan is and which area is putting the most pressure on it, so you can check the amounts and decide what needs attention first. It does not make that decision for you. If you are experiencing financial hardship, free financial counselling may be able to help. The National Debt Helpline is on 1800 007 007 (ndh.org.au).

What is the bill safety cushion?

It is an optional extra amount, set as a percentage, that protects a little more than your bills in case one like electricity or water comes in higher. It shows as its own line and your bill amounts do not change.

Can I plan an Emergency Fund contribution?

Yes, if you want to. Set a target, enter what you have saved and choose how much to save each pay. It shows your progress and roughly how many paydays until you reach the goal. It is optional.

How do I receive the product?

You pay through Stripe's secure checkout. Once payment is confirmed, you are taken to a page with your download link, and a copy of the link is emailed to the address used at checkout. The download is a ZIP file containing the .xlsx workbook, so unzip it first, then open the workbook in Microsoft Excel. If the email does not arrive within a few minutes, check your junk or promotions folder.

Can I make a backup?

Yes. You may make copies or backups for your own household use.

Can I share it?

You can use it with the people in your household. You may not share the workbook with other households, redistribute it, resell it, upload it publicly, or reproduce it commercially.

Is Payday Buffer financial advice?

No. Payday Buffer is a planning tool. It organises the information you choose to enter. It does not provide personalised financial advice, financial counselling or product recommendations.

What if I need help setting it up?

Email hello@moneydetective.com.au. Money Detective can provide basic support for product access, setup and using the workbook. Support does not include personalised budgeting advice, financial advice or financial counselling.

What is the refund policy?

Because Payday Buffer is a digital download supplied straight after payment, we do not generally offer refunds for change of mind. If the file cannot be downloaded, is faulty or does not match its description, contact us and we will help, which may include a replacement or a refund. This does not limit your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Read the full Refund Policy.

Give your next pay a job before you spend it.

See what this pay needs to cover, then see what may be left. No subscription. No bank connection. No guilt.

Get Payday Buffer for $16.95

One-off purchase. No subscription.

Want all six Money Detective spreadsheets? See the Complete Toolkit.