<prompt> Human: This isnt so much for investments, but moreso for different accounts. I constantly see people saying put X aside every month for this, put 50month into a separate account for that, etc,etc. How many accounts do you actually have and how do you accurately put aside this money for all these different occurrences that you prepare for?  <response>: You only need a savings account and a checking account. When you put aside x in a separate account and y in a separate account nobody say those accounts can not be the same. There are some reasons to get more then one savings account but you should not need two identical accounts only because you are using the money for different things. When you are budgeting you are concerning yourself with income and expenses but when you are practicing the budget you are dealing with assets and liabilities.If you have a problem following the budget it can however help to have different accounts to separate things. You might want a different account for the accounts on your food budget so that you do not eat up the money for rent or utilities. Similarly it may be helpful to have a separate account for saving up to your goals like a holiday or a new car. If you can follow a budget and understands virtual accounts you should not have to do such things though. 