1. Agreement to Terms
By downloading, installing, or using the Budge mobile application ("the App") or visiting our website at budgeme.com ("the Website"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use Budge.
Budge is operated by For Nothing Ventures LLC ("we," "us," or "our"). These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and For Nothing Ventures LLC.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to use Budge. By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.
3. How Budge Works
Budge is a wellbeing app that helps you build a habit of getting out of the house. Here is how it works:
- Calibration: During your first 7 days, Budge passively measures how much time you spend at home to establish your personal baseline. No fees are charged during calibration.
- Activity tracking: Budge uses your device's GPS to calculate three daily activity metrics: time at home versus away, number of distinct places you stopped at (5+ minutes at a location), and time of first departure. An outing must last at least 30 minutes to count (based on peer-reviewed research thresholds). Raw GPS events are automatically deleted after 90 days.
- Check-ins: If your time at home significantly exceeds your personal baseline, Budge sends a push notification asking why you stayed in.
- Fees: If you confirm you stayed home without a valid reason, a small fee may be assessed according to the fee schedule disclosed during onboarding. The current fee schedule is: first unjustified miss per week is a free pass (no charge), each subsequent unjustified miss is $2, with a weekly cap of $6.
- Tracking progress: You maintain streaks by getting out consistently. Budge also provides weekly mood check-ins and insights to help you see patterns. These are for motivation only and have no monetary value.
You acknowledge and agree that the fee mechanism is a core part of the Budge service and is designed as a behavioral nudge based on published research on loss aversion and behavioral activation.
4. Account Registration
- You may register using a valid email address and password, or by signing in with Google or Apple. By using a third-party sign-in provider, you authorize us to receive your name, email address, and profile photo (if available) from that provider.
- You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. If you registered with email, you may reset your password at any time via the "Forgot password?" link on the sign-in screen.
- You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
- You must notify us immediately at hello@budgeme.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
- You may only create one account per person. If you sign in with a different method using the same email address, your accounts will be linked automatically.
5. Fees and Payments
- Fee schedule: Fees are disclosed during onboarding and are subject to the weekly cap ($6/week as of the date of these Terms). We will notify you before any changes to the fee schedule take effect.
- Payment method: During onboarding, you authorize Budge to store a payment method via Stripe. Fees are charged automatically to this payment method.
- No charges during calibration: You will not be charged any fees during your initial 7-day calibration period.
- Free pass: The first unjustified miss each week is always free - no charge.
- Refunds (Undo): Each charge includes a 48-hour self-service refund window, starting when the 24-hour check-in response period ends. During this window, you may tap “Undo” in the Insights tab to receive an instant, automatic refund to your original payment method - no review required. After 48 hours, the charge is final. If you believe a charge was made in error after the window has closed, contact us at hello@budgeme.com for review.
- Valid reasons: When prompted, you may indicate that you stayed home for a valid reason (illness, weather, rest day, etc.). Valid reasons do not result in fees.
- Fee safety guarantees: Budge will never charge you when it cannot confirm you stayed home. If you delete the app, your account is automatically paused and no further fees will be charged. If location tracking stops for any reason (permissions revoked, background refresh disabled, phone restarted), the system detects the absence of GPS data and will not create prompts or charges for those days. If a push notification cannot be delivered, the associated prompt is automatically cancelled. These protections are enforced server-side and cannot be bypassed.
- Cancellation: You may cancel at any time by deleting your account in the app. No further fees will be charged after account deletion. Fees assessed before cancellation are non-refundable unless reversed via the in-app Undo button within the 48-hour refund window, or determined to be charged in error.
6. Location Permissions
- Budge requires "Always" location access to function. GPS data is used to calculate your daily activity metrics: time at home vs. away, number of distinct places you stopped at, and time of first departure.
- You may revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings. If you do, Budge will not be able to track your activity and no fees will be assessed. Budge detects when location data is unavailable and will not charge for days without GPS evidence, but the core functionality of the app will be unavailable.
- Raw GPS events are stored temporarily and automatically deleted after 90 days. Only aggregated daily summaries are retained long-term. We do not display specific places you visit within the app, and your location data is never sold or shared with third parties. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
7. User Conduct
You agree not to:
- Use the App for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
- Attempt to manipulate your location data, spoof GPS signals, or otherwise circumvent the activity tracking system.
- Create multiple accounts to avoid fees.
- Interfere with or disrupt the App, servers, or networks connected to the App.
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the App.
- Use the App to harass, abuse, or harm other users.
- Impersonate any person or entity in connection with the App.
8. Social Features
Budge may include optional social features in the future. If social features are enabled:
- Your display name, username, and streak may be visible to users who follow you.
- Your location data, mood responses, and fee history are never shared with other users.
- You can set your profile to private at any time to hide your information from other users.
- You agree not to use social features to harass, bully, or demean other users.
9. Communications
By creating an account, you agree to receive transactional emails from Budge, including:
- A welcome email upon registration.
- Password reset links when requested.
- Payment receipts for fees charged.
- Important service updates (e.g., changes to these Terms or our Privacy Policy).
These are transactional communications necessary for the operation of your account and cannot be unsubscribed from. We do not send marketing emails. See our Privacy Policy for more details on how we handle communications.
10. Intellectual Property
All content, design, graphics, the Budge character, logos, and software comprising the App and Website are owned by For Nothing Ventures LLC and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the App or Website without our prior written consent.
11. Disclaimers
- Not medical advice: Budge is a general wellbeing tool designed to encourage getting out of the house. It is not a medical device, not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and not a therapy or clinical intervention. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, contact a qualified healthcare professional or call your local emergency services.
- "As is" service: Budge is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
- GPS accuracy: Location data relies on your device's GPS hardware and may be affected by environmental factors. We do not guarantee 100% accuracy in home detection.
- Service availability: We strive to keep Budge available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The App may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or factors beyond our control.
12. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, For Nothing Ventures LLC and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from:
- Your use of or inability to use the App.
- Any fees charged through the App.
- Any unauthorized access to or use of your account.
- Any interruption or cessation of the service.
Our total aggregate liability for any claims arising from or related to these Terms or the App shall not exceed the total amount of fees you have paid to For Nothing Ventures LLC in the 12 months preceding the claim.
13. Account Termination
- By you: You may delete your account at any time from the Profile screen in the app. Upon deletion, all your data will be permanently removed within 30 days.
- By us: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or abuse the service. We will provide reasonable notice when possible.
14. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the App or by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of Budge after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you should stop using the App and delete your account.
15. Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of Budge shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.
16. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
17. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, contact us at:
Email: hello@budgeme.com
Website: budgeme.com