Adding Manual Transactions

Manual transactions allow you to add purchases and income that don’t automatically sync from your bank accounts. This is essential for tracking cash purchases, pending transactions you want to budget for immediately, or any spending that won’t appear in your bank feed.

Why Add Manual Transactions?

Manual transactions help you track:

• Cash purchases - ATM withdrawals spent on various items
• Pending transactions - Budget for purchases before they clear
• Quick budget entries - Record spending immediately
• Income before deposit - Log paychecks before they hit your account
• Checks written - Track before they clear
• Venmo/Cash App - If not connected as bank accounts
• Gift cards - Spending that won’t show in bank

The goal: Have a complete picture of your finances, even for transactions that don’t sync automatically.

How to Add a Manual Transaction

Step 1: Open Add Transaction

Method 1: Floating button

1. Go to Transactions tab
2. Tap the circular + button (bottom-right)
3. Add Transaction page opens

Method 2: Empty state (if no transactions)

1. Tap “Add Transaction” from empty state
2. Add Transaction page opens

Step 2: Choose Transaction Type

At the top, you’ll see a toggle with two options:

• Expense (default) - Money going out
• Income - Money coming in

Tap the appropriate type for your transaction.

Step 3: Enter Transaction Name

Field: “Transaction Name”

Enter what this transaction is for:

• Merchant name (e.g., “Local Coffee Shop”)
• Description (e.g., “Birthday Gift for Mom”)
• Category hint (e.g., “Cash - Groceries”)

Tips:

• Be descriptive enough to remember later
• Include context if helpful
• Similar to how bank transactions appear

Examples:

• “Cash - Gas Station”
• “Farmer’s Market”
• “Birthday Check from Grandma”
• “Freelance Project Payment”

Step 4: Select Transaction Date

Field: “Transaction Date” (shows calendar icon)

1. Tap the date field
2. Calendar picker appears
3. Navigate to the correct date
4. Tap to select
5. Calendar closes, date updates

Defaults to: Today’s date

Use cases:

• Today: For purchases just made
• Past date: For cash spent earlier in the week
• Future date: For scheduled payments (though they won’t affect budget until that date)

Step 5: Add Notes (Optional)

Field: “Notes”

Add any additional context:

• What you bought specifically
• Why this purchase was made
• Reminder for future reference
• Receipt number or confirmation

Examples:

• “Bought milk, eggs, bread at corner store”
• “Emergency car repair - need to adjust budget”
• “Client reimbursement expected next month”

Step 6: Toggle Transfer (If Applicable)

Transfer toggle: Off by default

Turn ON if this is money moving between your accounts:

• ATM withdrawal (moving from checking to cash)
• Transfer between banks
• Payment between your own accounts

Turn ON for:

• Moving money between your accounts
• ATM withdrawals (the withdrawal itself)
• Transfers to savings

Leave OFF for:

• Actual spending
• Income
• Purchases with cash (after the ATM withdrawal)

Note: Balance uses Plaid integration so most transfers are automatically detected. This is mainly for manual entries.

Info banner explains: “Transfers are money movements between your accounts. They won’t be included in your income or expense calculations.”

Learn more about transfers →

Step 7: Choose What to Do Next

Two options:

Option A: Save without category (edit mode only)

• For transactions already created
• Tap “Save”
• Saves changes immediately
• Returns to previous screen

Option B: Continue to category selection (new transaction)

• Tap “Next”
• Goes to category selection
• Assign categories immediately
• More efficient workflow

For new transactions, going to category selection is recommended - categorize it while it’s fresh in your mind.

Manual Transaction Fields Summary

All fields are editable later for manual transactions (unlike bank transactions).

Categorizing Manual Transactions

After tapping “Next,” you’ll proceed to category selection:

1. Category list appears
2. Tap a category to assign it
3. For splits, tap multiple categories and enter amounts
4. Tap “Save Transaction”
5. Returns to Transactions tab

Or skip for now:

• Don’t select a category
• Categorize later from transaction list
• Shows as uncategorized

Learn more about categorizing →

Manual vs Bank Transactions

Understanding the differences helps you know what’s editable:

Manual Transactions (User-Created)

You CAN edit:

• ✅ Transaction name/description
• ✅ Amount
• ✅ Date
• ✅ Transaction type (Income/Expense)
• ✅ Notes
• ✅ Category assignment
• ✅ Transfer status
• ✅ Can delete the transaction

Visual indicator: Badge shows “Manual” on transaction

Bank Transactions (Auto-Synced)

You CAN edit:

• ✅ Category assignment
• ✅ Category split amounts
• ✅ Transfer status
• ✅ Notes

You CANNOT edit:

• ❌ Transaction amount (set by bank)
• ❌ Transaction date (set by bank)
• ❌ Merchant name (set by bank)
• ❌ Cannot delete transaction

Why? Data integrity - these are actual bank records that must match your bank statement.

Common Manual Transaction Scenarios

Scenario 1: Cash Purchase

Situation: Paid $25 cash at farmer’s market

Steps:

1. Tap + button
2. Keep “Expense” selected
3. Name: “Farmer’s Market”
4. Date: Today
5. Notes: “Fresh vegetables and fruit”
6. Transfer: Off
7. Tap “Next”
8. Select “Groceries”
9. Save

Scenario 2: Pending Large Purchase

Situation: Just bought $500 in furniture, want to budget for it now

Steps:

1. Tap + button
2. Type: Expense
3. Name: “IKEA - Living Room”
4. Date: Today
5. Notes: “Couch and coffee table - pending”
6. Tap “Next”
7. Split: $300 to Furniture, $200 to Home Decor
8. Save

When bank transaction appears:

• Mark as Transfer or delete manual entry
• Or keep manual and mark bank transaction as transfer

Scenario 3: Cash Income

Situation: Received $200 cash for freelance work

Steps:

1. Tap + button
2. Type: Income
3. Name: “Freelance - Client Name”
4. Date: Today
5. Notes: “Website design project”
6. Tap “Next”
7. Select “Business Income”
8. Save

Scenario 4: Check Written

Situation: Wrote $1,200 check for rent (hasn’t cleared)

Steps:

1. Tap + button
2. Type: Expense
3. Name: “Rent Check #1234”
4. Date: Today
5. Notes: “May rent payment”
6. Tap “Next”
7. Select “Rent/Mortgage”
8. Save

When it clears: Mark the bank transaction as transfer to avoid double-counting, or delete your manual entry.

Editing Manual Transactions

To edit any manual transaction:

1. Tap the transaction
2. Tap the edit icon (top-right, only visible for manual transactions)
3. Edit any fields
4. Tap “Save”

Or to edit categories only:

1. Tap transaction
2. Tap “Category” section
3. Modify categories
4. Save

Deleting Manual Transactions

When you no longer need a manual transaction:

1. Tap the transaction
2. Tap edit icon (top-right)
3. Scroll to bottom
4. Tap “Delete Transaction” (red text)
5. Confirm deletion
6. Transaction removed immediately

Common reasons to delete:

• Bank transaction synced (duplicate)
• Entered by mistake
• Plans changed (didn’t make purchase)
• Entered wrong amount/details (easier to delete and re-add)

Cannot delete bank transactions - only manual ones.

Manual Transaction Tips

Best Practices

Do:

• ✅ Add manual transactions immediately after cash purchases
• ✅ Use descriptive names you’ll understand later
• ✅ Categorize right away when adding
• ✅ Delete duplicates when bank transactions sync
• ✅ Include helpful notes for context
• ✅ Check for duplicates before adding

Don’t:

• ❌ Wait days to add transactions (you’ll forget)
• ❌ Use vague names like “Store”
• ❌ Leave uncategorized for long periods
• ❌ Forget about pending manual entries
• ❌ Duplicate bank transactions

Avoiding Duplicates

When adding pending transactions:

1. Use descriptive name
2. Add note “PENDING - watch for bank sync”
3. When bank transaction appears:
   • Either delete manual entry
   • Or mark bank transaction as transfer

When tracking cash:

1. Note in description it’s cash
2. Example: “Cash - Groceries at Corner Store”
3. Won’t duplicate since cash doesn’t sync from bank

Efficient Workflow

Daily routine:

1. Morning: Check for any cash spent yesterday
2. Add any manual transactions immediately
3. Categorize as you add
4. Evening: Review day’s transactions

Weekly review:

1. Check for manual transaction duplicates
2. Delete outdated pending entries
3. Verify all cash spending is logged

Partner Coordination

Both partners can add manual transactions:

Best practices:

• Communicate when adding manual entries
• Avoid duplicating each other’s entries
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Add notes to indicate who spent

Example note: “Sarah - cash at grocery store”

This helps the other partner understand who made the purchase.

Troubleshooting

Can’t Save - Name Required

Solution:

• Enter something in Transaction Name field
• Even “Misc” or “Other” works
• Descriptive is better

Wrong Transaction Type

After saving:

1. Tap transaction
2. Tap edit icon
3. Toggle Expense/Income
4. Tap “Save”

Duplicate of Bank Transaction

If you already added manually:

1. Find the manual transaction (look for “Manual” badge)
2. Tap it
3. Tap edit icon
4. Delete transaction

Or alternative:

• Mark bank transaction as Transfer
• Keeps your manual entry with your notes

Manual Transaction Not Appearing

Check:

1. Viewing correct month
2. No filters hiding it
3. Scroll to correct date
4. Try refreshing the view

Next Steps

Now that you understand manual transactions:

• Editing Transaction Details - Modify any transaction
• Transaction Types - Income vs Expense vs Transfer
• Categorizing Transactions - Assign to budget
• Split Transactions - Divide across categories

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