Managing Your Budget

The Manage Budget page is your command center for all budget operations. This guide will help you master the tools and features for organizing and maintaining your budget efficiently.

Accessing the Manage Budget Page

1. Go to the Budget tab
2. Tap Manage in the top right corner
3. You’ll see all your categories with editing capabilities

Understanding the Manage Budget Interface

Allocation Summary (Top Section)

This shows your overall budget status at a glance:

Elements:

Percentage Allocated:

85% Allocated

Shows what portion of income you’ve assigned to expenses.

Dollar Amounts:

$7,200/$8,500

• Left number: Total expenses budgeted
• Right number: Total income
• Goal: Match these (100% allocated)

Progress Bar:

• Blue: Good (under or at 100%)
• Red: Over budget (expenses > income)

Remaining Amount:

$1,300 left to allocate

or

Over budgeted $300

Category List

Below the summary, you’ll see all your categories:

Each category shows:

• Category name
• Icon (if set)
• Current budget amount
• Income vs. Expense indicator

[Screenshot: Category list showing multiple categories with edit options]

Reordering Categories

Organize categories however makes sense to you.

How to Reorder

1. On Manage Budget page, tap Reorder button
2. Checkboxes disappear, reorder handles appear
3. Press and hold on a category
4. Drag up or down to new position
5. Release when in desired spot
6. Repeat for other categories
7. Tap Done when finished
8. Tap Save Changes to apply

Organization Strategies

By Priority:

1. Rent (most important)
2. Utilities
3. Groceries
4. Transportation
5. Insurance
...
20. Entertainment (least essential)

By Category Type:

Housing:
- Rent
- Utilities
- Internet

Transportation:
- Car Payment
- Gas
- Insurance

Food:
- Groceries
- Dining Out

By Payment Date:

1st of Month:
- Rent: Due 1st
- HOA: Due 1st

15th of Month:
- Credit Card: Due 15th
- Student Loan: Due 15th

Variable:
- Groceries
- Gas

Income First:

- Your Salary
- Partner's Salary
---
- Rent
- Groceries
(all expenses after income)

Choose what works for your brain!

Tips for Effective Ordering

Put frequently-adjusted categories at the top:

• If you adjust Groceries often, keep it near top
• Fixed expenses can go lower (rarely change)

Group related categories:

• All utilities together
• All transportation together
• All entertainment together

Consider visual scanning:

• Order in the way you think about money
• Makes monthly reviews faster
• Reduces cognitive load

Editing Category Amounts

Quick Edit (Inline)

1. Find the category
2. Tap the amount field
3. Enter new amount
4. Tap elsewhere or continue to next
5. When done with all changes, tap Save Changes

Example flow:

Groceries: $600 → tap → change to $650
Gas: $200 → tap → change to $220
Entertainment: $300 → tap → change to $250
Tap "Save Changes"

All updates happen at once.

Watching Allocation Update

As you edit amounts, watch the allocation summary update:

Before:

92% Allocated
$7,800/$8,500
$700 left to allocate

You increase Groceries by $100:

93% Allocated
$7,900/$8,500
$600 left to allocate

Real-time feedback helps you balance the budget.

Adding Categories from Manage Page

1. Scroll to bottom of category list
2. Tap Add Category button
3. Fill in category details:
   • Name
   • Amount
   • Income/Expense toggle
   • Icon (optional)
   • Carry Over setting
4. Tap Save
5. New category appears in list
6. Tap Save Changes to apply

The new category is added to the end of your list. Use reorder to move it where you want.

Deleting Categories

From Manage Budget Page

1. Enter Reorder mode (tap Reorder button)
2. Look for delete options on each category
3. Tap delete/trash icon on category you want to remove
4. Confirm deletion
5. Tap Done
6. Tap Save Changes

Note: Some implementations may vary. You might need to:

• Tap the category to edit it
• Then choose delete from edit screen

What Happens When You Delete

To the category:

• Removed from current and future months
• Past month’s data preserved (can still view historical)

To transactions:

• Transactions with this category become uncategorized
• You’ll need to recategorize them
• Uncategorized count increases

To allocation:

• If income category: Total income decreases
• If expense category: Total expenses decrease
• Allocation percentage recalculates

Before Deleting: Recategorize

Recommended approach:

1. Before deleting the category:
   • Go to Transactions tab
   • Filter by the category
   • Recategorize all transactions to different categories
2. Then delete the category
3. No transactions become uncategorized

Cleaner and saves time!

Bulk Editing Scenarios

Scenario 1: Got a Raise

Your income increased by $500/month. How to allocate:

Step 1: Update income

Your Salary: $4,500 → $5,000

Step 2: Allocate the increase

Option A: Spread across multiple categories

Groceries: $600 → $650 (+$50)
Dining Out: $200 → $250 (+$50)
Entertainment: $150 → $200 (+$50)
Savings: $800 → $1,000 (+$200)
Personal Spending: $200 → $300 (+$100)
Buffer: $50 → $100 (+$50)
Total: +$500

Option B: Put all in savings

Emergency Fund: $500 → $1,000 (+$500)

Option C: Split between savings and quality of life

Emergency Fund: $500 → $750 (+$250)
Entertainment: $150 → $200 (+$50)
Personal Spending: $200 → $350 (+$150)
Buffer: $50 → $100 (+$50)
Total: +$500

Step 3: Save Changes

Scenario 2: Lost Income

Income decreased by $1,000/month. Must cut expenses:

Step 1: Update income

Partner's Salary: $3,500 → $2,500 (-$1,000)

Step 2: Reduce expenses

Essential cuts first (least painful):

Entertainment: $300 → $150 (-$150)
Dining Out: $400 → $200 (-$200)
Subscriptions: $120 → $60 (-$60)
Personal Spending: $400 → $200 (-$200)
Clothing: $150 → $50 (-$100)
Total so far: -$710

If still need to cut $290:

Groceries: $700 → $650 (-$50)
Savings: $800 → $600 (-$200)
Misc: $100 → $60 (-$40)
Total: -$290

Grand total cut: $1,000 ✓

Step 3: Save Changes

Step 4: Discuss with partner

• These are temporary cuts
• Focus on increasing income
• Review monthly

Scenario 3: Moving to More Expensive Apartment

Rent increasing by $300:

Step 1: Update rent

Rent: $1,500 → $1,800 (+$300)

Step 2: Offset with reductions

Entertainment: $300 → $200 (-$100)
Dining Out: $400 → $300 (-$100)
Personal Spending: $400 → $300 (-$100)
Total: -$300

Or:

Step 3: Accept reduced savings temporarily

Savings: $1,000 → $700 (-$300)

Step 4: Plan to increase income

• Side hustle
• Ask for raise
• Partner finds work

Step 5: Save Changes

Scenario 4: Annual Budget Review

Once per year, comprehensive review:

Review each category:

• Are amounts still realistic?
• Account for inflation (3% average)
• Life changes requiring adjustments?

Typical increases:

Groceries: $600 → $620 (+3%)
Gas: $200 → $206 (+3%)
Utilities: $150 → $155 (+3%)
Insurance: May have bigger jumps (10%+)

Update all categories based on current reality.

Rebalance to maintain 100% allocation.

Balancing the Budget

Your goal: 100% allocation

If Under 100%

You have unallocated income.

Options:

1. Increase Savings

Unallocated: $500
Add to Emergency Fund: +$500
Now: 100% allocated

2. Increase Expense Categories

Unallocated: $500
Groceries: $600 → $700 (+$100)
Entertainment: $200 → $300 (+$100)
Personal Spending: $300 → $500 (+$200)
Buffer: $50 → $150 (+$100)
Now: 100% allocated

3. Create New Categories

Unallocated: $500
New: House Down Payment Fund: $300
New: Car Replacement Fund: $200
Now: 100% allocated

Every dollar should have a job!

If Over 100%

Your expenses exceed income.

Must do ONE of:

1. Reduce expense categories (most common)

Over: $300
Entertainment: $300 → $200 (-$100)
Dining Out: $400 → $300 (-$100)
Savings: $800 → $700 (-$100)
Now: 100% allocated

2. Increase income

Over: $300
Add: Side Hustle: $300
Now: 100% allocated

3. Accept temporary imbalance (emergency only)

Over: $300
Accept that we'll use savings this month
Fix for next month

Cannot live over 100% long-term - that’s debt accumulation!

Monthly Review Process

At End of Month (30-45 minutes)

Step 1: Go to Manage Budget

Step 2: For each category, ask:

• Did we budget enough?
• Did we budget too much?
• Was this category useful?
• Do we need to adjust?

Step 3: Make adjustments

Groceries:
- Budgeted: $600
- Spent: $680
- Over by: $80
- Action: Increase to $650 for next month

Entertainment:
- Budgeted: $300
- Spent: $210
- Under by: $90
- Action: Reduce to $250 for next month

Step 4: Look at overall allocation

• Still at 100%?
• Need to rebalance?

Step 5: Save Changes

Step 6: Discuss with partner

• How did we do?
• What do we want to focus on next month?
• Any goals or concerns?

Best Practices

1. Make Changes Deliberately

Don’t constantly tweak.

• Let a full month play out
• Gather data
• Make informed adjustments
• Then let new amounts run for a month

Exception: Major life changes requiring immediate adjustment.

2. Always Aim for 100%

Every dollar assigned:

• Prevents mindless spending
• Creates intentional money management
• Tracks every penny

Even “buffer” is assigned:

• Buffer: $200 (for miscellaneous)
• Still allocated, still tracked

3. Save Changes!

Easy to forget after making edits.

Always:

1. Make your edits
2. Review the allocation summary
3. Tap Save Changes button
4. Confirm changes saved

If you don’t tap Save Changes, your edits are lost!

4. Communicate with Partner

Before major changes:

• Discuss together
• Agree on adjustments
• Both understand reasoning

After changes:

• Confirm both aware
• Review together
• Address concerns

5. Use Reorder for Your Workflow

Organize so reviews are efficient:

• Frequently-adjusted categories at top
• Group related categories
• Order matches your thought process

Reduces mental load during monthly reviews.

Mobile vs. Web

Budget management works on both:

Mobile:

• Touch interface
• Swipe gestures
• On-the-go edits
• Good for quick changes

Web:

• Larger screen
• See more categories at once
• Easier to compare amounts
• Better for comprehensive reviews

Use both:

• Quick adjustments on mobile
• Monthly deep dives on web

Troubleshooting

“I can’t get to 100% allocated”

If under 100%:

• Add to savings
• Or increase expense categories
• Every dollar needs a job

If over 100%:

• Reduce expenses
• Or increase income
• Cannot spend more than you earn long-term

“My changes didn’t save”

Check:

• Did you tap “Save Changes”?
• Internet connection working?
• Try again
• Close and reopen app

“My partner sees old amounts”

Solution:

• Changes sync automatically
• Wait 5-10 seconds
• Pull to refresh
• Or close and reopen app

“I accidentally deleted a category”

Solution:

• Recreate it with same name
• Past transactions still exist
• Historical data preserved
• Recategorize recent transactions

Next Steps

Now that you’re a Manage Budget expert:

1. Budget Progress Tracking - Monitor spending throughout the month
2. Monthly Budget Reset - Understand monthly cycles
3. Setting Category Budgets - Master budget amounts
4. Creating Your First Budget - Start from scratch

Need help? Contact our support team - we’re here to assist!