Ledgerville is a free educational game about money. Walk around a little town and step into Paycheck Plaza, Budget Bungalows, Tax Tower, Ledger Lane, Main Street and more. Each building has short lessons from Money 101 to intermediate, quick quizzes and a mini-game: decode a pay stub, survive a month on a budget, race debt payoff plans, balance a bakery’s books, or run Sunny’s Bakery for a whole year. Stuck on something? Ask the Ledger answers plain-language questions.
What you will learn
Paycheck Plaza
- Gross pay vs net pay (Money 101). Why the number on your offer letter is bigger than the number in your bank account.
- Reading your pay stub (Money 101). Every box on a pay stub, decoded, plus the mistakes worth catching.
- Employee (W-2) vs contractor (1099) (Money 201). Same work, very different taxes. What changes when nobody withholds for you.
Budget Bungalows
- Your first budget (Money 101). A budget is a plan for your money, made before the month starts.
- Tracking spending and fixed vs variable costs (Money 101). You can only fix what you can see. Find the leaks.
- Budgeting on irregular income (Money 201). For tips, commissions, gig work and small-business owners.
Savings Vault
- The emergency fund (Money 101). Cash that stops a bad week from turning into debt.
- Interest and compounding (Money 101). Interest on your interest: the slow snowball that makes time so valuable.
- Saving for goals and inflation (Money 201). Short, medium and long goals need different homes, and inflation is the quiet thief.
Credit Corner
- How credit scores work (Money 101). The five things that move your score, and the two that matter most.
- APR and the minimum-payment trap (Money 101). Why paying the minimum on a card can take years.
- Avalanche vs snowball (Money 201). Two proven ways to pay off several debts. Play Debt Duel to see both.
Tax Tower
- How tax brackets really work (Money 101). Moving into a higher bracket never makes you take home less.
- Deductions vs credits (Money 101). A deduction shrinks the income that is taxed. A credit shrinks the tax itself.
- Refunds, filing status and your tax return (Money 101). A refund is your own money coming back. What filing actually is.
- Quarterly estimated taxes (Money 201). For freelancers, gig workers, landlords and business owners with no withholding.
- Business taxes at a glance (Intermediate). Income tax, self-employment tax, payroll tax, sales tax, and what is deductible.
Ledger Lane
- The accounting equation (Money 101). Assets = Liabilities + Equity. Everything in accounting balances on this.
- Debits and credits (Money 201). Left side and right side. The rule that makes double-entry click.
- Cash vs accrual accounting (Money 201). When does a sale "count"? When the money arrives, or when you earn it?
- Bookkeeping habits that save you (Money 101). Ten minutes a week beats a shoebox of receipts in April.
Statement Square
- The income statement (P&L) (Money 101). Did we make money this period? Revenue minus expenses.
- The balance sheet (Money 101). A snapshot of what the business owns and owes on one day.
- Cash flow: profit is not cash (Money 201). Why profitable businesses still run out of money.
- Reading the numbers like an accountant (Intermediate). A handful of ratios that turn statements into decisions.
Main Street
- Business structures: sole prop, LLC, S corp, C corp (Money 201). Liability protection and taxes are two separate questions.
- Pricing, margin and break-even (Money 201). How many croissants do you have to sell before you make a dime?
- Hiring and payroll basics (Money 201). What an employee really costs, and the forms that come with them.
Investment Grove
- Investing basics (Money 201). Stocks, bonds, funds, and why most people start with an index fund.
- Retirement accounts: 401(k), IRA, Roth (Money 201). Tax-advantaged buckets, and the free money most people leave on the table.
- Net worth: your personal balance sheet (Intermediate). Assets minus liabilities. The one number that tracks real progress.
The Accountant’s Office
- What does an accountant actually do? (Money 101). More than taxes. The full menu of services, for workers and owners.
- Bookkeeper, CPA, EA, advisor: who is who? (Money 101). Titles matter. Here is what each one can do for you.
- Getting the most from your accountant (Money 201). Come prepared, ask good questions, and stay in touch through the year.
For accountants
Client Session mode lets an accountant pick topics, present them full screen in a meeting, and print a take-home summary with their own notes. The Accountant’s Office explains what accountants, CPAs, enrolled agents and bookkeepers do, with checklists of what to bring.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ledgerville for?
Anyone who wants to understand their money: workers reading their first pay stub, students, freelancers, and small business owners. Accountants can use Client Session mode to walk clients through topics.
Is it free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with nothing to install, on phones, tablets and computers.
Is this tax advice?
No. Ledgerville is general financial education. Tax figures are simplified US federal examples. Talk with a qualified accountant about your own situation.
Where is my progress saved?
Only in your own browser on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Why is my paycheck smaller than my salary?
Taxes and deductions come out first: federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare, plus insurance and retirement.
Will a raise push me into a higher bracket and cost me money?
No. Only the dollars above the bracket line are taxed at the higher rate. You always keep more of a raise.
Why did I owe taxes this year?
Usually because too little was withheld: a second job, side income, a W-4 that needs updating, or a lost credit.
Is a big refund good?
It is your own money coming back without interest. A smaller refund and bigger paychecks is usually better.
What is the difference between a deduction and a credit?
A deduction lowers the income that gets taxed. A credit lowers the tax itself, dollar for dollar.
Do I need to pay quarterly taxes?
If you have freelance, gig, rental or business income with no withholding, probably yes.
General financial education only, not tax, legal or investment advice.