Most money advice online feels like it was copy pasted from somewhere else. You see lines like “Invest $500 a month” or “Cut your daily coffee” and you wonder what planet that person lives on. In the Philippines, every peso has a job — rent, food, utilities, family support, and a little something for yourself so you do not burn out. The math is real, but the emotion is heavier. That gap between tips on the internet and life on the ground is where Perry began.
We did not set out to make another financial app. We wanted a companion that talks like a person, understands that salary lands twice a month, and can turn a messy wallet into a plan that still feels like your life. Perry is that companion. It listens first. It explains in plain words. It helps you move one step forward even on weeks when everything feels expensive.
The Moment That Started It
There was a night when one of us opened a banking app and stared at the numbers. Salary just came in. Two transfers later the balance looked thinner than expected. There was a quiet panic that felt familiar. We started listing where the money would go.
- ₱6,500 for rent share
- ₱1,800 for electricity and water
- ₱1,200 for data and Wi-Fi
- ₱3,000 for groceries
- a little for transport
- a little for parents
- a little for small joys so life still feels like life
The list made sense, but it did not feel clear. What we wanted was not a spreadsheet. What we wanted was a conversation.
We asked a simple question: Why is managing money always so heavy? No one had a satisfying answer. So we built a small prototype that asked human questions.
- What do you want to fix first?
- What made the last salary feel short?
- What would make the next one feel lighter?
We shared it with friends. Ten people tried it. Then twenty. Then more. The feedback sounded the same: “I finally understand where my salary should go.”
That was the spark.
What Perry Does Differently
Perry starts with your reality — salary timing, obligations, and hopes. It will never throw jargon before it knows your life.
If you say you want to stop the monthly scramble, it focuses on cashflow.
If you say debt keeps you up at night, it helps you build a clear payment path.
If you say you just want to know how much you can enjoy without guilt, it helps you set that number and protect it.
Perry turns answers into a plan that fits a Philippine paycheck. It uses envelopes that make sense here:
- Essentials like food and transport
- Safety for emergencies
- Sinking funds for near-term needs like tuition and renewals
- Growth for things like MP2, PERA, index funds, or T-bills
- Joy for guilt-free spending because a plan that bans happiness breaks fast
The amounts are not rigid. They shift with your season — starting a new job, supporting a parent, saving for a baby. Perry adapts.
The Product We Shipped and Why
We designed the experience to feel like a conversation, not a lecture. You meet Perry, answer a short guided flow, then chat. After the first chat, you receive a personalized report in your email. It includes your money map, recommended percentages, next actions for the next two weeks, and links to Money Lessons that explain the why in clear language.
After that, you can keep chatting with Perry any time. Ask for a quick budget before a trip. Ask how much to allocate for gifts in December. Ask what to do with a ₱2,000 surplus. Perry remembers context and gives you a small set of actions you can actually do in one sitting.
We kept the tone warm on purpose. Many people carry quiet shame around money. We wanted the product to remove weight, not add it. That is why Perry avoids scolding. It prefers choices, tradeoffs, and small wins.
Move ₱200 to Safety today.
Schedule a tiny auto transfer.
Pay ₱500 extra to your highest interest balance.
Set a reminder for bill due dates so the month stops ambushing you.
These are tiny. Over time, they compound.
Built for Philippine Habits
We paid attention to the small things that matter locally. Salary often lands on the 15th and 30th. Bills sometimes batch near the end of the month. Promotions in e-wallets change fast. Parents ask for help with timing. People want to enjoy the weekend without wrecking the next two weeks.
Perry reflects those patterns. It suggests two checkpoints per month. It nudges you to batch payments to reduce fees. It encourages a Joy pocket so you do not binge later. It translates investment terms into short, clear English with examples in ₱. It treats the 13th-month pay as a special plan with a simple split so you can breathe and still move forward.
What We Learned From the First Users
The first hundred users taught us that clarity beats complexity. People do not want ten charts. They want one clear decision. Pay this first. Move this amount today. Park this extra here.
We learned that a ₱100 daily auto transfer to Safety feels more doable than a large monthly promise. We learned that couples want scripts that make money talks less awkward. We learned that breadwinners need permission to set boundaries with kindness. Those lessons shaped the product as much as any line of code.
The Human Rule That Guides Us
Every time we add a feature, we ask one question: Will this make a person feel guided, not guilty?
If the answer is no, we cut it.
If the answer is yes, we refine it until it is simple enough to use anywhere — in a jeep, during a five-minute break, or while waiting in line.
Money tools often reward discipline alone. Perry rewards tiny momentum. Two minutes today. Two minutes next salary. That rhythm builds confidence.
Why Perry Matters
Money is not just numbers. It is pressure, pride, love, and hope. It is wanting to help family without drowning. It is wanting to enjoy life without fear. It is wanting to grow without feeling like you need a finance degree.
Perry exists to make that path less lonely. It listens. It explains. It guides. It speaks in pesos. It respects your life.
If you have ever looked at your balance and felt that familiar tightness in your chest, know this: you do not need to be perfect to feel in control. You only need a plan that fits your reality and a companion that keeps you moving. That is what we built. That is Perry.
From the team that wanted money to feel human in the Philippines — built with care, tested with real salaries, and always improving for the next payday cycle.