What Are Cookies, Really?

Right, so cookies aren't the chocolate chip kind. They're tiny text files that websites drop onto your device when you visit. Think of them as digital breadcrumbs that help us remember who you are and what you were doing.

Some are essential—without them, our site simply wouldn't function. Others help us improve your experience or understand how people use our financial planning tools. We're pretty transparent about which is which.

Types of Cookies We Use

How Long Do They Stick Around?

Depends on the type. Session cookies disappear when you close your browser—poof, gone. Persistent cookies hang around longer, anywhere from a few days to a couple years.

• Essential cookies: Usually last the session, occasionally up to 12 months for security features
• Functional cookies: Typically 12 months so we remember your settings
• Analytics cookies: Often 24 months to track long-term patterns
• Marketing cookies: Variable, but we try to keep them under 12 months

You can clear them anytime through your browser. Fresh start whenever you need it.

Third-Party Cookies

Sometimes other companies set cookies through our site. Google Analytics, for instance, helps us see traffic patterns. We're careful about who we work with, but these aren't directly under our control.

Social media plugins? Those can set cookies too if you interact with them. That "share" button isn't just a button—it's connected to the platform's tracking.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You've got options. The button at the top of this page? That's your quick rejection tool for everything non-essential. But you can also dig into browser settings for fine-tuned control.

Browser-Specific Instructions

Most browsers let you block all cookies, but heads up—some sites won't work properly. You'll likely run into issues with login forms and shopping carts. It's a trade-off between privacy and functionality.

Why We Track This Stuff

Look, we're not just collecting data for fun. Here's what we actually do with it:

• See which budget templates get downloaded most often during seasonal transitions
• Understand if people find our winter expense guides helpful or confusing
• Identify technical problems before they affect too many people
• Make sure our educational content reaches folks who might benefit from it
• Remember your calculator settings so you don't have to re-enter everything

We're a small operation focused on financial education. We're not selling your data to random companies or building creepy profiles. The tracking helps us improve the resources we offer—that's genuinely the main reason.

Updates to This Policy

Technology changes. Regulations change. Sometimes we add new tools or remove old ones. When we update this policy, we'll note the revision date at the bottom. For major changes, we might send an email or post a notice on the site.

Last updated: February 2025