Built From Real Struggles With Money

We started eontrivaloza because we got tired of seeing people fail at budgeting. Not because they lacked discipline, but because most financial advice treats everyone the same. Your income fluctuates. Your expenses change. Life happens.

So we built something different—a way to manage money that bends with your reality instead of breaking under it.

Early planning sessions that shaped our flexible budgeting philosophy

Started In A Shared Office, 2019

The idea came from watching friends struggle. One was a freelance designer—some months brought ,000, others barely ,000. Traditional budgeting tools assumed steady paycheques. They'd set up these elaborate category systems, then abandon them when reality didn't cooperate.

We thought there had to be a better approach. Something that acknowledged income varies. That unexpected expenses aren't budget failures, they're just life. And that guilt isn't a useful financial planning tool.

By mid-2020, we'd tested our first framework with about thirty people. Small business owners, contractors, shift workers—anyone whose income didn't arrive in neat fortnightly chunks. The feedback shaped everything we built next.

We learned that flexibility isn't about being loose with money. It's about building systems that adapt without falling apart.

Variable Income Planning

We built our methods around irregular earnings. Whether you're paid by project, commission, or seasonal work, the system adjusts to what actually arrives in your account.

Priority-Based Allocation

Instead of rigid category limits, we focus on what matters most right now. Essential expenses come first. Everything else fills in based on what you have available.

Realistic Buffer Building

Small, consistent contributions beat ambitious targets you can't maintain. We help you build cushion without feeling like you're constantly depriving yourself.

Who's Behind This

Just two people who got obsessed with solving a problem we kept seeing everywhere. No massive corporate structure. No venture capital pressure to scale before we're ready.

Cybil Hartnett

Co-founder, Methodology

Spent years working with small business owners on cash flow challenges. Saw too many capable people struggle not because they overspent, but because their planning tools assumed stability that didn't exist.

Dorene Fitzwater

Co-founder, Client Education

Background in adult education and communication. Joined because she was tired of financial advice being delivered in jargon-heavy lectures that nobody could actually use on Monday morning.

Workshop sessions where we refine our teaching methods

Collaborative planning work with real client scenarios

What Guides Our Work

Honest About Limitations

We can't fix everything. If your income is unpredictable and barely covers essentials, no budgeting method creates money that isn't there. But we can help you work with what you have.

Built Around Real Behavior

People don't fail budgets because they're bad with money. They fail because the system demands perfection. We design for how humans actually make decisions when they're tired and stressed.

No Shame Approach

Feeling guilty doesn't improve your financial situation. We focus on practical adjustments instead of moral judgments about your spending choices.

Gradual Implementation

Big overhauls rarely stick. We help you make one or two changes, get comfortable, then add more when you're ready. Progress over perfection.

See If Our Approach Fits Your Situation

We run education sessions starting September 2025. Small groups, practical focus, no pressure to commit to anything beyond learning some new tools.

Explore Learning Program