<prompt> Human: Im having a difficult time explaining this but I will try my best. Basically we both get paid bi-weekly and have the same pay day and very similar salaries. After taxes we each see 1,000 dollars every other week. This obviously totals to 2000 every other week to pay our bills, pay for other expenses, and have some left over for recreation and other stuff. I have found that it has been hard to schedule how much to set aside each paycheck to save for our larger bills rent 1200 due the first of every month and how much to pay up front for smaller and urgent bills like student loans, electricity, etc. We currently use Mint Bills just to keep track of what is coming up, we really like the calendar feature that shows what is due and when. The problem is that some months we see two pay periods in the month and sometimes we see three when it falls on the first of the month and near the end of the month. When this happens we have a surplus after rent goes out but when we only see two pay periods we are really tight.What I am trying to solve and find a simpler solution too is how to see bills and pay periods on a larger scale and not month to month but rather just in terms of every other week, exactly how it is. If we budget correctly the calendar month should have no effect on our finances, because our pay periods are constant and always accurate, but time and time again the 1st of the month approaches and we scramble for rent by delaying payment of a smaller bill until the next pay period when we retroactively pay it or date a check for a week in the future when the funds will be available. I hate living like this, having to constantly check our account, and calculate bills to see if we have enough, especially since we are making plenty to live below our means.If anyone has any suggestions or excel sheets or something to assist with this problem that would be great! edit: We have both already asked our individual employers to switch our pay period so that they are staggered, so we make 1,000 a week but unfortunately payroll for both our companies is already structured to operate the way they do and that cant be changed.Assistant: Easiest way to tackle this is to buckle down for a few months, and build a buffer into your checking account. That way youve already got the money for this paychecks bills, and your check is just saving for the next checks bills.Source: Ive always made significantly more than my wife, and got paid bi-monthly for years.Human: I completely agree. Im really trying to set aside some emergency fund money and already have 750 in our savings account. I havent touched it since we started saving it and it grows a few hundred a month. Should I use that as the buffer? My fear is that it will slowly diminish though if I see it as money I can use to help with bills.  <response>: My fear is that it will slowly diminish though if I see it as money I can use to help with bills.My suggestion would be yes, use it as the buffer, BUT also in your budget add another line item, just like a bill, for deposit 300 to buffer. You should have that amount be the sum of whatever you took out, plus a bit more 300 for bills, then 200 extra each month for example. Treat your savings exactly the same as a bill, as an obligation you must meet each month. 