Budgets
Set one monthly amount per expense category and watch budget vs. actual vs. variance.
Last updated October 23, 2026
The Budget section (⌘5) gives every leaf expense category a row with a monthly amount. Actuals come from your ledger, so the budget and the books can't disagree.
Set a budget
- Press ⌘E (or Edit budgets) to start editing.
- Move between categories with Tab / ↓ and ⇧Tab / ↑; move the caret with ← / →.
- Save and finish with ⌘↩, or finish with Esc.
Each budget is a single monthly amount, rolled up across all accounts. A budget carries forward until you change it, and an edit applies from the month you make it — so months you've already reviewed never change underneath you. Clearing a row records "no budget from here on".
Read a month
- Each row shows budget vs. actual vs. variance.
- Over-budget rows are highlighted and float to the top.
- ↑/↓ move between rows; Return unfolds a row into the transactions behind it.
- ← / → step months; use the filter to show All, Over, or Budgeted.
Only expense-account postings count. Transfers and credit-card payments are excluded automatically, which is what stops a card from double-counting as spending, and refunds net against their category. A budget follows your profile's reporting currency; a foreign-currency expense converts at its transaction-date rate.
Two things the month view tells you
- The current month reads "to date" and never flags you for a partial month.
- If imported lines are still waiting to be routed, a banner reports N unreviewed — not counted in the actuals. Clear the review queue to bring them into the month.
What budgets don't do
Budgets are deliberately simple. There are no per-month overrides, sinking funds or annual budgets, no rollover, and no mid-month notifications. A savings/investing line and trend charts are not part of the current feature.
Related
Still stuck?
Email [email protected] with your macOS version and what you were doing.