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Getting Started with HabitsCharity in 5 Minutes

A step-by-step tutorial to set up your first habit, choose a charity, and start building accountability in less than 5 minutes.

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Welcome to HabitsCharity

Let's get you set up and tracking your first habit in under 5 minutes. By the end of this guide, you'll have real money on the line and be ready to start building better habits.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Sign up using Google OAuth or email. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.

Once you're in, you'll land on your dashboard where you can see all your habits, current streaks, and total impact.

Step 2: Create Your First Habit

Click the "Create Habit" button. You'll be asked to fill in:

  • Habit Name: Keep it specific. Instead of "Exercise," try "30-minute morning run"
  • Emoji: Pick something that represents your habit (🏃 for running, 📖 for reading, 🧘 for meditation)
  • Deadline: What time must this be completed by? Be realistic. If you're not a morning person, don't set a 6 AM deadline
  • Stake Amount: Start with $5 if you're unsure. You can always adjust later

Step 3: Choose Your Charity

Browse our catalog of verified 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Filter by category:

  • Education & Youth
  • Environment & Animals
  • Health & Medical Research
  • Social Justice & Human Rights
  • Poverty & Hunger Relief

Pick one that resonates with you. When you miss a habit, knowing your money goes to a cause you care about makes the sting of failure a bit easier.

Step 4: Fund Your Wallet

Add money to your HabitsCharity wallet using:

  • Credit or debit card
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

How much to add? A good rule: Fund at least 2 weeks worth of stakes. If you're staking $5/day, add at least $70 to your wallet.

Your funds are secure and handled through Stripe. Money only leaves your wallet when you miss a habit.

Step 5: Complete Your Habit

Now comes the important part: actually doing the habit. Throughout the day, you'll receive reminders before your deadline.

When you complete your habit, open the app and tap the checkmark. That's it. Your money stays in your wallet, your streak grows, and you've built a little more discipline.

What Happens If You Miss?

If you don't mark your habit complete by the deadline, here's what happens:

  • At midnight, your stake is automatically donated to your chosen charity
  • You'll receive a notification showing the donation
  • Your streak resets to 0
  • The next day starts fresh—get back on track and rebuild that streak

Pro Tips for Success

  • Start with ONE habit. Don't try to change everything at once
  • Set realistic deadlines. Give yourself enough time in the day to complete the habit
  • Enable reminders. Life gets busy. Let the app remind you
  • Check in daily. Make it part of your routine to open the app and see your progress

Ready to Build?

That's it. You're now part of a community of people building better habits while making the world better in the process.

Remember: The goal isn't perfection. It's consistency. Even if you miss occasionally, every completed habit is a win, and every missed habit still creates impact.