Privacy Policy

Summary

BudgetTools.net is a free reference site for budgeting calculators, guides, and app reviews. We don't ask you to register, sign in, or hand over financial credentials, and the calculators run in your browser — the numbers you type into them are not transmitted to us.

However, this site is supported by advertising. Google AdSense and other advertising vendors may set cookies and collect limited information to serve and measure ads. This page explains exactly what that means in practice and what choices you have.

Information you provide directly

We do not run user accounts or contact forms that collect personal data. The only way you can volunteer information to us is by emailing us (see Contact). When you do, we receive whatever you send — your email address, the content of your message, and any attachments — and we use that information solely to reply.

Information collected automatically

Calculator inputs

The values you enter into calculators (income, debts, savings goals, and so on) are processed by JavaScript in your browser. They are not sent to our servers. Some calculators offer to save your inputs to your browser's local storage so you can come back to them later — that data lives on your device and never leaves it. You can clear it at any time through your browser's site-data settings.

Server logs

Our hosting provider records standard request logs that include the requested URL, HTTP status, timestamp, referring page, user-agent string, and a truncated IP address. These logs are kept for a short retention window for security, abuse prevention, and aggregate traffic analysis.

Cookies set by this site

We do not set first-party tracking cookies. We may use a small first-party cookie to remember non-personal preferences (for example, dismissing a cookie notice). These are described in our Cookie Policy.

Cookies and identifiers set by advertising and analytics partners

This site participates in the Google AdSense program. AdSense and the broader Google advertising network may set cookies, read existing cookies, and process limited information about your device (such as IP address, browser type, operating system, and the page you're viewing) to serve and measure ads. Where required by your jurisdiction, ads are served using a non-personalized configuration unless you've opted in to personalized advertising.

For details on how Google uses information from sites that use its services, see policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. You can manage your ad personalization preferences at adssettings.google.com.

We may add other ad or analytics partners over time. Where we do, they will be subject to the same general framework: third-party cookies, IP-level data, and their own privacy policies and opt-outs. The current list is summarized in our Cookie Policy.

How we use information

• To run the site and serve the page you requested.
• To diagnose errors, defend against abuse, and keep the site available.
• To understand aggregate usage patterns (for example, which calculators are most used).
• Through advertising partners: to serve ads, measure ad performance, and limit how often the same ad is shown.

We do not sell personal information. We do not build profiles of individual readers for resale. We do not share information about you with anyone except the service providers (hosting, ads) needed to operate the site.

Children

This site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided personal information through this site, please contact us so we can address it.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights over personal information we hold about you. Because we do not run accounts and don't keep personally identifiable records of readers, in practice these rights mostly affect data held by our advertising partners.

EEA / UK readers (GDPR)

You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, and the right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time. To exercise these rights with respect to data we hold (for example, an email exchange with us), contact us. To exercise them against Google's advertising data, use Google Ad Settings and the privacy controls in your Google account.

California readers (CCPA / CPRA)

You have the right to know what personal information is collected, to delete personal information, to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, and to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To opt out of personalized advertising, use Google Ad Settings and the controls offered by your browser. To make a request directly to us, contact us at the address on the Contact page.

Data retention

• Server logs: retained briefly for operational reasons and then rotated out.
• Email exchanges: retained for as long as needed to handle your request, then archived or deleted.
• Advertising-partner data: governed by each partner's policy. Google's retention is described in its policies linked above.

International transfers

The site is hosted on globally distributed infrastructure, and our advertising partners are global services. By using the site you understand that information collected (such as IP-level data) may be processed in countries other than your own, including the United States.

Security

The site is delivered over HTTPS. Because we do not run accounts or accept financial data through this site, the most sensitive data we handle is the content of any email you choose to send us. We don't store credit-card data, bank credentials, or other regulated financial information.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site evolves — for example, if we add a new advertising partner or analytics tool. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected on this page; continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Privacy questions can be sent to the address on our Contact page. Please include "Privacy" in the subject line so we can route the message correctly.