SET + MAINTAIN - Budgets
Using this screen you can add, edit, search and review the items that make up your budget. View any budget items that you have added, including those that have expired and access their details. You can nominate which categories you want to include or exclude from your budget and set how they display in your budget.
To create a budget you need to specify items to be included through budget items. These budgets items can be in the form of a specific bill (or income), or as a general allowance.
ADDING A BUDGET ITEM
Each budget item is added under the most appropriate category. Setting an item under a category allows you to view any related transactions, graphs & settings for that category.
To create a budget item, click on the category that you want to associate that budget item with and select to ‘Add Budget Item’. You can only add budgets to categories with a red dot in front of them. You can also create budget items from within the Income VS Expenses Report.
If a category appears with a grey dot in front of it, it is not set to be included in any budgets. Clicking on it and selecting ‘Include in Budgets’ will make that category available to use.
If you do not see any categories, check the box to display categories ‘not in budget’. This will display all of the categories available for use in your budget.
Note: If the category you want to use is not available, you can add it using ‘Set + Maintain, Categories’. To use a category in a budget it must be ‘active’ and ‘included’ in budget. Categories are active and included by default.
EDITING A BUDGET ITEM
Once you have created a budget item it will appear, under the appropriate category preceded by a coloured arrow.
Green arrows represent active budget items.
Red arrows represent expired budget items.
Black arrows represent budgeted transfers between accounts.
You can access and edit the details of an item by clicking on its arrow, regardless of colour.
BUDGETING FOR TRANSFERS BETWEEN ACCOUNTS
You can also budget for transfers between your accounts.
You may, for example, choose to transfer a certain amount of money to your credit card once a month. You can budget for that transfer, and anticipate the shifting of funds from one account to another. It can be helpful for knowing what will be in which of your accounts and when.
To create a budget item for a transfer:
Select ‘transfers’ from the Search menu at the top of the window.
Select an account to add a transfer from by clicking on the arrow preceding it. Set the details for this transfer as you would for any other budget item.
SEARCHING BUDGET ITEMS
At the top of the budgets window you are provided with a number of ways to search and display budget items & categories.
You can display different categories using the ‘Show Categories’ options:
Not in Budget
Displays categories not currently included in your budget.Without Budget Rules
Displays categories without any budget items.Include Expired Rules
Will display any budget items that have expired
You can search your budget items by their categories, by type (income, expense, transfer) or by the account with which they are associated.
All categories - displays all categories
One category - allows you to select one category to display budget items for.
Income - View all of your income categories, or view only your business or investment incomes.
Expenses - View all of your expenses together or break down to view individual categories & their budget items.
Transfers - Displays all budgeted transfers between any two of your accounts.
From Account - View all budget items linked to a specific account.
