While deposits may seem trivial, how you deposit the income you expect to receive as part of your budget is a key part of your planning. Your future spending and saving plan will work only if the amount of each income deposit is never less than the expected amount.

To keep your budget on track, the deposit of a planned receipt can be more than the expected amount, but never less. Which is why the catch-phrase for planning income is:

"Plan low and deposit high."

Cash back

Getting back cash when you deposit a paycheck by depositing less than the check amount is a habit that is best avoided. Controlling the cash that you spend out-of-pocket is critical to effectively managing your finances. Putting cash in your pocket from a deposit leads to the inevitable "Where did it go?" question.

Unplanned money in your pocket from deposits could decrease your net cash flow by adding unplanned cash to your allowance.

Direct deposit

The recommended way to avoid the cash back habit is to have your paychecks directly deposited. When you sign up for direct deposit, your money is electronically sent to your checking account on payday. You do nothing other than record the deposit in A Real Budget.

Direct deposit is a trusted technology that is dependable, quick, and very convenient. Having your paychecks directly deposited to your budget space checking account means one less thing that you have to do.