My understanding is that living with financial security, defined by the creator as being able to live on previous months' paycheck and putting current pay towards creating a buffer, requires budgeting.

I don't have anything to say about software, because I've never heard of it, but I do have some experience with personal finance. I've owned a couple homes, made do on no money, spent more than I had, made some good investments, and now live pretty comfortably (so pretty much all over the map--learned by doing, which isn't the most efficient way, but boy the lessons stick with you). If you know a thing or two about arithmetic, then I'm pretty sure that you don't need an explicit budget. What you do need is at least a decent handle on your intake and outlays. My advice is don't bit off more than you can chew. I fell into the trap of thinking that I could handle a nice apartment on my own when I was a grad student, and I got into some debt trouble because of it. Had to do some major growth in income to get out of that, and I wouldn't recommend it. So, here's my advice, which I think is backward from what most people will tell you: Figure out what kind of lifestyle you want, and then adjust your living situation accordingly. That is, if you like going out, drinking, having fun, etc., then decide how much you need to support that life, and then count how much is left over for essentials. If you do it the "right way", you run the risk of living a dull life full of no fun, and then what's the point? If you can survive in a small apartment on the shitty side of town, then do it. It's not so bad. Rent and cars take chunks of income, and they're not very flexible once you take them on. When I was young, I didn't realize how much flexibility I needed, and I paid the price (so to speak). I managed to turn my formerly cool self into a suburb-dwelling, bourgeois yuppie nonetheless, but if not for some good luck, I might still be in debt. Don't go down that road. It causes much stress and anxiety. If budgeting helps, then by all means do it.