Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this for? 

Anyone who wants to see their complete financial picture in one place and — if they're carrying debt — wants a specific, personal plan with an actual finish line. Whether you're juggling multiple debts and don't know where to start, or you simply want more intention behind money that's already "fine," the tool meets you where you are. Who it's not for: anyone who wants an app that syncs to their bank and does the thinking for them. This tool works because you engage with your own numbers.

What makes this different from other budget or debt tools? 

Four things. It's one connected system, not a pile of separate spreadsheets — income, expenses, debts, payoff planning, analytics, and reports all talk to each other, so one change updates everything. It recommends, not just calculates — it runs both Snowball and Avalanche against your real numbers and tells you which one fits your situation, with the reasoning shown. It gives you a date — not a vague "someday debt-free," but your actual projected debt-free date based on your real income and bills. And it's built on process discipline — its designer spent a career in Lean Six Sigma process improvement, and the tool reflects that: honest inputs, visible logic, measurable progress.

If I'm already in financial trouble, can this really help me? 

Honestly: it depends on what kind of trouble. What the tool does exceptionally well is replace fog with clarity — most people in debt stress are exhausted by not knowing, and seeing your whole picture with a concrete plan is genuinely powerful. It can't create money that isn't there. If you're in an acute crisis — collections calls, can't cover essentials — the tool can still help you see clearly, but consider also talking with a nonprofit credit counselor (look for NFCC-affiliated agencies). For everyone between "crisis" and "comfortable," this is exactly the tool for the job. 

If I'm already doing pretty well, what's the benefit? 

"Doing well" and "being intentional" aren't the same thing. The tool shows you where your surplus actually goes, how much faster your remaining debt could disappear with a deliberate strategy, how your spending trends month over month, and a Financial Health indicator that tells you what's driving your score — not just the number. Plenty of people doing "fine" discover a debt-free date years earlier than they assumed was possible.

What exactly am I buying? 

Intentional Money Moves is a Google Sheets–based personal finance tool with nine connected tabs covering income tracking, expense tracking, debt management, a debt payoff calculator, spending analytics, a payoff timeline, and a printable Financial Health Report. It compares the Snowball and Avalanche debt payoff methods against your specific numbers and recommends the better one for your situation. All tabs are connected — change one input and every calculation updates automatically. One-time purchase, no subscription, no app to install, works anywhere Google Sheets runs. 

How does delivery work after I purchase? 

The moment your purchase completes, you get instant access — no waiting. You'll land on a page with a link to open the tool, and you'll also get it by email. Open the link, go to File → Make a copy, and the tool is yours: living in your own Google Drive, fully under your control. That's it — one copy and you're set up for good. 

Do I need a Gmail account to use this? 

You need a free Google account — which is not quite the same thing as Gmail. Any email address (Yahoo, Outlook, your work email) can be registered as a Google account at no cost. If you already use Google Drive or Google Sheets for anything, you're all set. 

Is there an Excel version? 

No — Intentional Money Moves is built specifically for Google Sheets. Several of its features, including the automatic month-locking system, rely on Google's platform. The upside: it works on any computer with a browser, nothing to install, and your work saves automatically. 

What if I'm not good with spreadsheets? 

You don't need to be — that's the point of the design. You only ever type into clearly marked input cells, dropdowns, and checkboxes. Every calculation happens automatically, and the areas that do the math are protected: if you click somewhere that supports the calculations, Google shows you a warning before anything changes. The Home tab walks you through the setup with a 6-step guide that turns green as you complete each step, and the Tutorial video shows the whole process on screen. 

What if I don't know all my exact balances and rates yet? 

Start with your best estimates — the tool works immediately and updates everything the moment you refine a number. Your latest statements or account logins have the exact figures when you're ready. An honest rough picture today beats a perfect picture never. 

Does this work on my phone? 

The Google Sheets mobile app can open your copy for checking numbers and quick updates. For first-time setup and monthly sessions, a computer is strongly recommended — the dashboard and reports are designed for a full screen. 

Where do I put my name on the reports?
Go to the Reports tab and find the PREPARED FOR field near the top of the report (cell D9). Type your name there — it automatically appears on your printed Financial Health Report.

What happens if I enter something wrong or make a mistake?
Just fix it — every calculation updates automatically the moment you correct an input. Ctrl+Z undoes your last change, and Google Sheets keeps full version history (File → Version history) if you ever need to rewind further. The formula areas are protected with edit warnings, so it's hard to break anything by accident.

What are Snowball and Avalanche, and which should I use?
They're the two proven debt payoff strategies. Snowball pays off your smallest balance first — quick wins that build momentum. Avalanche targets your highest interest rate first — mathematically the cheapest path. Here's the thing: the better choice depends on your specific numbers, and the difference is sometimes big and sometimes trivial. The Calculator tab runs both against your actual debts and recommends the one that fits your situation — with the reasoning shown, not just the answer.

What's the difference between Monthly Avg and Actual Paid?
Monthly Avg is the normalized monthly equivalent of an expense — what it costs you per month on average, even if you pay it quarterly or annually. Actual Paid is what really left your account this month. The tool tracks both because budgeting needs the average, but your real cash position needs the actual.

When should I lock a month?
Lock at the start of a new month, before entering new data — not at the end of the month being closed out. When a new month begins, your first action is clicking Lock Previous Month on the Analytics tab. That saves last month's totals as your comparison baseline, and then you're free to start entering the new month.

I just set up the tool and there's a red "not locked" indicator. Did I do something wrong?
No — first-time users see a red "not locked" indicator on Day 1, and this is normal. The comparison features become meaningful after your first month lock — until then the red indicator is normal and you can ignore it.

Why does Google ask me to authorize something when I click Lock Previous Month?
Google may ask you to authorize this workbook the first time you use the Lock Previous Month button. This allows the workbook to save your current month's expense totals for month-over-month comparison. It does not connect to your bank or access any accounts outside this spreadsheet.

I forgot to add an expense from a while back — should I go back and add it?
Simple rule of thumb: if it's $100 or more, or happened within the last 30 days, add it to the current month. If it's under $100 and older than 30 days, let it go — chasing small old numbers costs more momentum than it buys accuracy.

How do I print or save my Financial Health Report?

The tool walks you through it right on the Reports tab, and it's quick: 

1. Enter your name in the PREPARED FOR field, then select cells A7:G58 

2. Go to File → Print → choose "Selected cells (A7:G58)" → open Expand Headers & Footers and uncheck "Repeat frozen rows" → Next → Print, or Save as PDF

The same steps are shown in the Tutorial video, and they're printed on the Reports tab itself so you never have to remember them. 

Can this pull information straight from my bank or credit accounts?
No — and that's deliberate. Nothing in Intentional Money Moves connects to your bank, your credit cards, or any outside account. You enter your numbers yourself. That means no login credentials to hand over, no third-party data access to worry about — and honestly, the manual entry is part of what makes it work: you can't be intentional about money you never look at.

Can anyone else see my information? Can Zero By Design?
No. Your copy of the tool lives in your Google Drive, under your Google account, protected by your password. Zero By Design has no access to your copy, no view of your numbers, and no way to see what you enter. Your financial data never leaves your Drive.

What happens if I get locked out of my Google Drive?
Your copy lives in your Google account, so account recovery goes through Google (google.com/accounts/recovery) — the same as regaining access to your email or photos. This is also a good reason to keep a backup copy (see below) and to have Google's account recovery options (phone number, backup email) set up.

Is there a way to make a backup?
Yes, and it takes ten seconds: open your copy, go to File → Make a copy, and name it something like "IMM Backup — July 2026." Everything — your data, your locked months, the tool's automation — carries over into the copy. Doing this once a month right after you lock is a nice habit.

I accidentally deleted the tool. How do I get it back?
First, check your Google Drive Trash — deleted files stay there for 30 days and can be restored with one click. If it's truly gone, email support@intentionalmoneymoves.com with the email you purchased under, let me know what happened, and I'll restore your access at no charge so you can make a fresh copy.

Can I copy this and share it with family members or friends?
Your purchase covers you and your own household — so you and a spouse or partner working on your finances together are absolutely covered. Sharing copies beyond your household isn't permitted; each purchase directly supports an independent maker (that's me! — this tool was built by one person).

Was this really made by one person?
Yes — designed, built, tested, and supported by one person: me, the founder of Zero By Design. Every formula, every screen, every threshold and recommendation rule was my decision, refined across hundreds of hours of building and testing. Like any modern solo maker, I used today's best tools — including AI assistants — the way I use the power tools in my own woodshop: they speed the cuts, but every measurement and design choice is my own.

What was the motivation for making this tool?
After a career spent improving processes professionally — finding waste, building measurement systems, making complex things clear — I kept noticing that the tools people use for their personal finances do none of that. They track, but they don't recommend. They show numbers, but not a finish line. Intentional Money Moves is what happens when process discipline gets applied to the question most people carrying debt have never had answered: "When, exactly, will this end?"

Why should I trust this over something made by a team of professionals?
Two honest answers. First: teams of professionals mostly build subscription apps — and subscription apps are designed to keep you subscribed, not to finish the job. This tool was built by one practitioner whose measure of success is you not needing it anymore. Second: there's no black box here. It's a spreadsheet — every calculation is inspectable, every number traceable. You don't have to trust it; you can look.

Is there a trial period, or can I try it before buying?
There's no free trial — the product is a digital file delivered in full, which is also why all sales are final. Instead, I've made everything visible before you buy: the walkthrough video shows the entire tool in action, screen by screen, and this FAQ answers what it can and can't do. You should know exactly what you're getting before a dollar changes hands — that's the deal.

Is this a subscription?
No. One-time purchase, yours forever. No monthly fees, no locked features, no upsells inside the tool.

What's your refund policy?
All sales are final — because the product is a digital file delivered in full at purchase, I'm unable to offer refunds. Everything on this page, the Tutorial, and the walkthrough video exist so you know exactly what you're getting before you buy. If you hit a problem after purchase, email me — I'll help you get it working. See the full Terms of Use.

Is there help if I need it?
Yes — three layers:

1. The Tutorial — full video walkthrough of setup and monthly use

2. This FAQ and the Hot Tips page — updated monthly

3. support@intentionalmoneymoves.com — a real person (the person who built it) replies within 24–48 hours (please Email from the username used during the purchase)

You can reach all of these from inside the tool: the Home tab's Resources & Help section has one-click links to the Tutorial, FAQ, Website, and this month's Hot Tip.

If I wanted to leave a review, how could I do it?
I'd genuinely love that — reviews from real users are how a one-person product gets found. Share your experience through the quick review form at [FORM LINK], or just email me. With your permission, your words may appear on the site to help the next person decide.

What if I have questions that aren't answered here?
Email support@intentionalmoneymoves.com — a real person (the one who built the tool) reads and answers every message, and I will do my best to respond within 24–48 hours. Good questions also improve this page: if you ask something useful, it'll probably show up here to help the next person.