Valerie and Gary were the typical American couple.

“We had credit cards, car loans and orthodontic loans,” Valerie said. “We made the mistake of refinancing the house and rolling our credit card debt in there. We swore we would never use those cards again. But we did. And then we took out a second mortgage.”

Some people hear the word budget and cringe! They think a budget is something that holds you back and keeps you from living the life you want.

Not these EveryDollar budgeters.

When they hear the word budget . . . their eyes light up. They see opportunities everywhere. They have permission to spend, save and give to their heart’s desire. The world is their oyster!

But hey, don’t take our word for it. Check out what these EveryDollar budgeters are doing because their budget said they could.

When Joel was deployed to Iraq in January 2015, he and his wife Nargis (both U.S. Army captains) were two months away from becoming parents and had more than $100,000 in total debt. Being able to talk about money was difficult but important. But EveryDollar made it easy for them to communicate without saying a word.

“While I was deployed, it helped to streamline our conversations about finances,” Joel says of the budgeting tool. “When we actually talked online or on the phone, we didn't have to spend any time talking about money. We communicated about money through the EveryDollar iPhone app. It is formatted in a way that makes budgeting really easy.”

Making an EveryDollar budget helps Jody S. and her husband, Stephen, breathe easier. Like, $700-a-month easier.

That’s how much money they figured out they were overspending when they signed up in January and saw the numbers.

“We didn’t realize how much we spent on eating out and grocery trips,” Jody says. She adds they would spend $100 a month on little trips to Target and Walmart.

“We weren’t telling our money where to go, so we were just spending it! I remember looking back, saying ‘What did we buy this month? Where did it all go? We have no money!’” she says.

EveryDollar just passed the one-million-budgeters mark! One! Million!

We’re a little excited. Can you tell? This milestone means more to us than a number. It means more debts paid off, more savings accounts funded, and more lives changed. And it means way less stress for a lot more people.

For those of you who joined us in this budgeting movement, thank you! And for those of you who are ready to take control of your money for the first time, welcome!