/budgets). Each budget works like an envelope: a maximum amount for a set of categories, on a cycle that restarts each month. Unlike goals, a budget doesn’t set any money aside: it only measures the current cycle’s spending against the limit.
To set money aside with a purpose (emergency fund, a trip, a house deposit), use Goals instead. Goals live at
/goals; budgets live at /budgets.Per-category cap
A limit for specific categories (for example, €400 on restaurants) or for whole category groups.
Overall cap
With no categories defined, the budget applies to all spending: a single limit across your expenses.
Create a budget
Set the limit and scope
Enter the cap amount for the cycle and the categories or category groups it tracks. If you pick no categories, the budget becomes an overall cap that applies to all spending.
Choose the cycle
By default the cycle is monthly. It can also be quarterly, semi-annual, or annual. The cycle starts on the day you choose (for example, the day your salary lands) and ends the day before the next cycle begins.
What counts toward the limit
The cycle’s spending is calculated from your transactions in the budget’s categories. To read it correctly, keep these rules in mind:- Same-category refunds subtract from spending. In a budget with categories, a positive transaction categorized into one of the budget’s categories reduces spending. Spend €50 at a restaurant and get €25 back (categorized under restaurants) and the budget counts €25, not €50. The refund only offsets if it’s categorized into one of the budget’s categories: an MB WAY repayment left uncategorized, or tagged as income, won’t reduce spending. If refunds exceed spending, the figure stays at €0, never negative.
- Overall budgets ignore refunds. An overall cap (no categories) sums outflows only and stays gross, so your salary and other income aren’t mistaken for spending.
- Transfers and excluded movements don’t count. Transfers between your own accounts and excluded movements are left out; pending or authorized movements already count toward the limit.
Carry the unused balance over (rollover)
Enable rollover, in the budget detail view, so the unused balance of each cycle carries over to the next, envelope-style. The current cycle’s effective cap becomes the defined limit plus the accumulated balance from previous cycles. Count on two rules:Over-budget cycles don't create debt
Over-budget cycles don't create debt
A cycle where you went over the limit contributes 0 to the accumulated balance, never a negative amount. Overspending doesn’t drain the following months’ envelope.
Editing the scope resets the balance
Editing the scope resets the balance
Changing the limit, the cycle, or the categories of a budget with rollover resets the carried-over balance to zero, because it alters the meaning of “spent this cycle”. guito shows a warning before saving.
The budget detail view
Click a budget to open its detail (/budgets/[id]), with spending against the limit, the cycle’s spending chart, and the list of movements.
- At the top there’s a date range selector (This month, Last 30 days, Last 3 months, This year, or custom), the same as the other detail pages. It filters the spending chart and the movements list. The spending-vs-limit figure at the top always refers to the current cycle.
- In a budget with categories, the chart and list reflect net spending (the line dips on a refund day); in an overall budget they stay gross.
- Each movement in the list links to the matching transaction, where you can review or recategorize it.
Read a budget’s state
Each budget shows a state based on the cycle’s spending, so you can see at a glance where you stand:Under budget
Under budget
Spending is comfortably below the cycle’s limit.
Near cap
Near cap
Spending is approaching the limit (typically from 80% onward).
Over cap
Over cap
The cycle’s spending has exceeded the defined limit.
Notifications
Each budget can send email alerts when spending reaches certain percentages of the limit. You can enable or disable notifications and adjust the thresholds in the budget detail view. Each email includes a link to manage notifications, where you can turn them all off at once.Budgets on the overview
Budgets also appear as a widget on the overview. You can choose which ones show through the settings icon on the widget; with no selection, it shows the first few in order.Related pages
Goals
Set money aside with a purpose: emergency fund, trips, a house deposit.
Spending categories
Organize the categories that feed your budgets.
Accounts
The accounts and movements that produce the spending you track.
Overview
See budgets and goals side by side on the overview.