We Need This in Canada: ReadyForZero PLUS

For months – more specifically, since #FinCon12 – I’ve been thinking about all of the brilliant startups that have been (and are being) developed to help people get out of debt, save more, and become financially literate. With each new one that I hear of, I can’t help but think “we need this in Canada!”

Every Wednesday, for the next few weeks, I’m going to share a tool I wish Canadians could use. Please note that these posts are not sponsored; I genuinely believe there is a need for all of them and I am only sharing the ones I wish I could use myself. But, American readers, you’re in luck: this first post comes with a freebie!

ReadyForZero

If you haven’t heard of ReadyForZero until now, I’m happy you’re reading this post. ReadyForZero is an online program that helps you see how much debt you have and then puts you in control of your debt-free date. Seriously, it’s as simple as that.

Imagine linking all of your accounts and having a chart show you when you’ll be debt-free. How much more motivated would you be to pay down your debt, if you could manipulate that chart and look at how bigger or extra payments can shave off months or years, not to mention added interest?

For the last two years, that’s exactly what the San Francisco-based startup has been doing. And it’s working. To date, ReadyForZero users have paid off more than $25 million of debt! Knowing how passionate the company is about helping others, I’m not surprised that they found a way for users to pay down their debt even faster.

ReadyForZero PLUS

On Monday, ReadyForZero launched their biggest release since the site’s inception: ReadyForZero PLUS. PLUS takes everything they already offered and gives you the power to make a payment directly from the ReadyForZero dashboard.

You don’t need to have ReadyForZero open in one tab, while you’re logging into your various banking websites in others. In PLUS, you can simply look at the numbers in front of you and either make your minimum payments or see how making a bigger or extra payment can help you. With the click of a few buttons, the payment is scheduled and you’re one step closer to being debt-free.

My favourite feature of PLUS is the notification it sends you every time a large deposit is made to one of your accounts. PLUS tells you how much was deposited and shows you how much interest you could save by paying an extra $50 or $100 to your debt. And there is even a tool where you can ask ReadyForZero to send emails to who I call “your person” – someone you feel comfortable sharing your debt repayment journey with.

PLUS is available “for a little more than the cost of a latte every month” – $4.99 per month, to be exact. If you’re interested in seeing how ReadyForZero can help motivate you to pay down your own debt, setup an account (it’s free!), active your bill pay subscription, and use this promo code to get your first 3 months of PLUS free.

Promo code: blondeonabudget

The site embodies everything I believe in, when it comes to paying down debt: being honest with yourself, being accountable to others, and staying motivated along the way. Click here to read more about the release of ReadyForZero PLUS. And if you want to know why I think Canadians could use a similar tool, watch one of the co-founders talk about why he started ReadyForZero.