SIMPL for Military Families: a budget that moves when the orders do

Full disclosure: SIMPL is our product; we make it and sell it. This page describes what money looks like for a military family, what it costs where you live using government price data, what SIMPL does and what it doesn't, and what the other apps cost, so you can decide for yourself.

A month of money, for a military family

Our pay is steady but everything around it moves. Base pay comes twice a month, plus a housing allowance that depends on where we're stationed, and every permanent change of station resets the numbers: a new housing allowance, a new rent, new schools, sometimes a new state tax situation. The move itself is partly reimbursed and partly not, and the reimbursements arrive weeks after we've paid. Deployments change things again, with special pay, a different spending pattern at home, and the tax-free savings we try to make the most of. My spouse's career restarts at every move, so our second income comes and goes. We keep a bigger emergency fund than most families because the surprises are bigger. I track the move expenses separately so the reimbursement claim is right, and I rebuild the budget every time we land somewhere new.

What makes it hard

A new housing allowance and cost of living at every move
Moving costs paid up front and reimbursed weeks later
A second income that restarts with each station change
Deployment pay and spending patterns that shift the budget

What this month costs where you live

An illustrative month for a military family at US-average prices is about $4,750. Prices differ a lot by metro, and not evenly: rents vary far more than groceries. Each line below is scaled by the matching part of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities for 2024 (US average = 100). Debt payments and savings aren't scaled.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (overall 115.6, rents 194.7): about $6,708 a month
Monroe, MI (overall 93.5, rents 74.6): about $4,217 a month
Monroe, LA (overall 83.6, rents 42.8): about $3,587 a month

Your metro:

Line	US average	Scaled by	Your metro
Rent (off base)	$1,700	rents	$1,700
Utilities	$250	utilities	$250
Groceries (incl. commissary)	$800	goods	$800
Cars and gas	$500	goods	$500
Childcare and activities	$600	services	$600
Insurance and phones	$300	services	$300
Emergency fund and TSP	$600	not scaled	$600
Month	$4,750		$4,750

Illustrative amounts, not a statistic about military families; your own month will differ. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by MSA (table MARPP), 2024, 387 metropolitan areas.

What SIMPL does for military families

Zero-based budget. Rebuild the plan at each new station from the new allowance and rent.
Automatic spending categories. Keep move expenses in their own category so the reimbursement claim is complete.
Cash-flow forecast. See the gap between paying moving costs and being reimbursed.
Savings goals. A larger emergency fund as a goal of its own.

$199 once · 30-day money-back guarantee

Get SIMPL — $199

What SIMPL doesn't do

SIMPL does not give financial, tax or investment advice, file your taxes, or move money for you. It records, categorises and plans.
It tracks investment and retirement balances for your net worth; it does not trade or manage them.
Bank connection runs through Plaid and depends on Plaid supporting your bank; you can always enter or import transactions yourself.
SIMPL is $199 once and runs on the device you install it on. Using it on more than one device, or sharing it live with a partner, needs Cloud Sync at $4.99 a month (optional).

Independent help, free, and not us

An app records and plans; it doesn't replace real guidance. These official and nonprofit sources are worth knowing for a military family:

Military OneSource: financial and legal: Free financial counseling and resources for service members and their families.
CFPB consumer tools: Plain-language guides from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (a federal agency) on budgeting, credit and debt.
AnnualCreditReport.com: The official site for your free credit reports from all three bureaus.

What the other apps cost

App	Price	Three years
You Need A Budget	$109 a year	$327 over 3 years
Monarch Money	$99 a year	$297 over 3 years
Ramsey Solutions EveryDollar	$80 a year	$240 over 3 years
SIMPL	$199 once	$199

Published prices, checked April 2026; they change. Several of these apps do things SIMPL doesn't; if one of those is what you need, the subscription may be worth it.

Questions

Is SIMPL a subscription?

No. SIMPL is $199 once, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The only optional extra is Cloud Sync at $4.99 a month, if you want it on more than one device or shared with a partner.

Does it connect to my bank?

Yes, through Plaid, when Plaid supports your bank. You can also enter or import transactions yourself.

Is SIMPL right for every military family?

Not always. If you want investment advice, bill pay or a credit score, SIMPL doesn't do those. If you only want a free spending feed, a free app may be enough. SIMPL is for people who want a real budget, goals and reports without a yearly bill.

SIMPL for other situations

SIMPL for Quicken Users SIMPL for Retirees SIMPL for Independent Consultants SIMPL for New Parents