SIMPL for New Parents: a budget that survives the first year

Full disclosure: SIMPL is our product; we make it and sell it. This page describes what money looks like for a new parent, 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 new parent

Nobody warned us that the baby would change the budget before it changed our sleep. The hospital bill arrived in pieces over three months, and each piece was a surprise. Then the recurring costs settled in: diapers and wipes every week, formula when feeding didn't go to plan, and the big one, daycare, which costs more than our rent. One of us took unpaid leave for twelve weeks, so for a quarter we lived on one income while spending more than ever. What saved us was planning those months before they came: we built a savings buffer during the pregnancy and decided in advance what we'd cut. Now we're back to two incomes and trying to rebuild that buffer, start a college fund, and update our life insurance, which we never thought about before. Every month there's a new cost: a car seat, a bigger stroller, the pediatrician's co-pay, and I want to see all of it in one place instead of finding out at the end of the month.

What makes it hard

Medical bills arriving in pieces for months after the birth
Childcare costs bigger than rent
Months on one income during parental leave
New long-term goals (college, life insurance) on top of a tighter budget

What this month costs where you live

An illustrative month for a new parent at US-average prices is about $5,610. 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 $7,731 a month
Monroe, MI (overall 93.5, rents 74.6): about $5,041 a month
Monroe, LA (overall 83.6, rents 42.8): about $4,345 a month

Your metro:

Line	US average	Scaled by	Your metro
Rent or mortgage	$1,800	rents	$1,800
Utilities	$260	utilities	$260
Groceries, diapers and formula	$950	goods	$950
Daycare	$1,300	services	$1,300
Car and gas	$450	goods	$450
Insurance and medical co-pays	$450	services	$450
Emergency buffer and college fund	$400	not scaled	$400
Month	$5,610		$5,610

Illustrative amounts, not a statistic about new parents; 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 new parents

Cash-flow forecast. Forecast the leave months on one income before they start, with the costs you already know are coming.
Zero-based budget. Plan each month with the new lines: daycare, diapers, co-pays.
Savings goals. Rebuild the buffer and start a college fund as separate goals.
Automatic spending categories. Medical bills and baby costs sort into their own categories, so you can see the real cost of year one.

$199 once · 30-day money-back guarantee

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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 new parent:

IRS: Child Tax Credit: Who qualifies and how much, straight from the IRS.
HealthCare.gov: Official marketplace for health coverage, including after a birth or a job change.
USA.gov benefit finder: Check which federal benefits your household may qualify for.

What the other apps cost

App	Price	Three years
Monarch Money	$99 a year	$297 over 3 years
You Need A Budget	$109 a year	$327 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 new parent?

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 Stay-at-Home Parents SIMPL for Freelancers SIMPL for Students SIMPL for Solopreneurs