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#4 in Personal FinanceUdemyPersonal FinancePaid courseBeginner levelCertificate

Learn How To Budget - Personal budgeting made easy (Udemy.com)

Everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to set and stick to a monthly budget.

4.5
3,445 reviews

Created by: Pete Matthew

Last updated March 2020

Our take

Based on the ratings of 3,445 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in March 2020. No course pays to be reviewed.

Pete Matthew is a practising financial planner, and this is his short course on one narrow job: setting up a monthly budget and sticking to it. It runs 1.6 hours over 22 lectures, laid out as four weekly steps plus a closing section on the long haul. Excel sheets are included, with paper versions if you prefer. It is aimed at absolute beginners, and that is who it fits.

Reviewers like the calm, clear delivery and the homework. One says he took the fear out of budgeting, and another says the monthly tracker spreadsheet and its lesson were enough to justify buying. Ratings are strong: 1,865 of 3,445 are five stars, and only 58 are one or two stars. The complaints are small. One reviewer says a couple of spreadsheet formulas don't work, another thinks it borrows from Dave Ramsey, and a service provider for unhoused people found the advice aimed at people better off than their clients.

The course was last updated in March 2020, so some details may be dated. About 13,500 students have enrolled. The content is narrow by design: five sections on setting up, reviewing and keeping a monthly budget, and the section list shows no other money topics. Worth it if that habit is the gap.

Best forAbsolute beginners who want a short, calm walkthrough and a ready-made budget spreadsheet.
Skip it ifYou already budget, know Dave Ramsey's method, or need advice for very low incomes.

Pros

  • Four weekly steps with homework turn budgeting into a routine, not just theory
  • Downloadable Excel tracker, with paper versions, called better than one reviewer's own sheet
  • Calm, clear delivery that reviewers say takes the fear out of money
  • Only 1.6 hours, so a beginner can finish it in a few sittings

Cons

  • Last updated March 2020, so some details may feel dated
  • One reviewer reports a couple of spreadsheet formulas that don't work
  • One reviewer found some advice aimed at people better off than their unhoused clients
Very good in presentation, explanations and pace. It comes with valuable downloadable tools to get you going. The application of the documents are explained as well.
Laura Pedersen, a student

Beginner level fits. No finance background is needed, just willingness to dig into your own numbers and use Excel or paper.

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What you will learn

  • Set and stick to a monthly budget
  • Appreciate the benefits of financial control
  • Cope with fluctuating income and irregular bills

Course content

5 sections · 22 lectures · 1.6 hours of video

  1. 1Week 1: Getting In The Zone 3 free previews5 lectures · 19 min
  2. 2Week 2 - Setting Up For Success5 lectures · 27 min
  3. 3Week 3 - The Weekly Review4 lectures · 23 min
  4. 4Week 4 - Overcoming Hurdles4 lectures · 16 min
  5. 5Moving Forward - In It For The Long Haul4 lectures · 12 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • This course is for those who want to take control of their money, rather than have it control them. The course will suit absolute beginners, and anyone with a willingness to get stuck in to their finances.

What you need before you start

  • There are course materials avaiable to download in MS Excel format, but there are also paper versions if you prefer working that way.

How it compares

Against the other 33 rated Udemy courses in Personal Finance on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 33% of them
  • Reviews3,445#4 of 34 by number of reviews
  • Length1.6 hoursshorter than 84% of them
  • Last updatedMarch 2020earlier than 81% of them

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Course Description

The Learn How To Budget course gives you everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to master the most fundamental of all financial skills – setting up and sticking to a monthly budget.

After just four weeks of preparation (which you can take at your own pace) you will know exactly how to budget, how to overcome some hurdles, and will be off and running on your way to financial success.

The fact is you will never be rich unless you consistently spend less than you earn (unless you win the lottery or inherit from a long lost aunt). Are you ready to commit to your own future? This course will arm you with all the tools and techniques to do so.
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 1.6h

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Instructor Details

Pete Matthew

I am a practising financial planner with 20 years experience working with folks who have worked and saved hard to build up their wealth. Since my days of financial illiteracy as a student, I have made my own mistakes and learned how to manage my own affairs and simplify them to make them work easily.

Combining my personal and professional experience in how money works, I have learned how to distil complex financial subjects into what you need to KNOW and what you need to DO.

For the last five years I have been teaching personal finance on my website MeaningfulMoney, and my weekly podcast is downloaded thousands of times each week.

Read More

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Reviews

4.5

3,445 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

Write a review

By Areej Aljasim on 11/4/2025

I learn the importance of emergency fund

By Brent Cosgrove on 10/30/2025

I took this course as a service provider to unhoused peoples. A lot of the recommendations in this training are for people better off than my clients, so they may not apply to folks that do not have what he recommends using.

By Jo Elias-Jackson on 4/22/2024

He took the fear out of budgetting and finance and gave great, doable homework and examples for reinforcement and hands-on learning. He made it easy and understandable and removed fear. Please document the fb page and other info shared like dave ramsey, etc.

By Devprakash Yadav on 4/26/2021

Very important and helpful course. We all know a bit about the budgeting and so many apps are available now a days. But this course will give us a 360 degree angle to think about our financial planning. Thank you sir for creating such a nice course. Its amazing!

By Amira ElAli on 11/15/2020

the video has muted.

By Loide Phillipus on 11/1/2020

This is such an insightful course. I have learnt a lot more to grow on to.

By Ershad Y M on 10/26/2020

Such a great lesson that never get taught at school.

By Geraldine Burgess on 10/25/2020

he is clear and speaks well. going in proper sequence and easy to understand

By Anonymized User on 10/10/2020

I'm half-way through the course at the moment and so far I'm really enjoying it. I'm a fan of Pete's podcast and really benefitted from the advice in his book so decided that this course would be a good investment. I find the sheets very easy to use and the videos are helpful.

By Sameh Michael on 10/5/2020

Nice course and organized but this budget sheet looks a little bit complicated

By Katie MacKinnon on 10/4/2020

I'm half-way through the course at the moment and so far I'm really enjoying it. I'm a fan of Pete's podcast and really benefitted from the advice in his book so decided that this course would be a good investment. I find the sheets very easy to use and the videos are helpful.

By Philip T Hedtke on 10/2/2020

it was quick and to the point I'm glad i found this

Showing 12 of 226 reviews

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Overall Score : 90 / 100

Learn How To Budget - Personal budgeting made easy
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 1.6h
  • Price: See price on Udemy
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon March 2020
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:22 in 5 sections
  • Students:13,500
  • Subtitles:1 language
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