Creating and Managing Budgets
FeaturesBeginner

Creating and Managing Budgets

Master budgeting in SpendSee to control spending and reach your financial goals

Published: January 16, 2026

Creating and Managing Budgets

Budgets help you plan your spending for each month and track whether you're staying on target. This guide will show you how to create and manage budgets effectively.

What is a Budget in SpendSee?

A budget in SpendSee consists of:

  • Budget Name - What you're planning for (e.g., "January 2024")
  • Category - The spending category (Food, Bills, etc.)
  • Month & Year - The time period
  • Budget Items - Individual planned expenses within the budget
    • Expected - Planned expenses (e.g., "Electricity: $100")
    • Unplanned - Unexpected expenses that came up

Creating Your First Budget

Step 1: Open Budgets Tab

Tap the Budgets tab at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Create a Budget

  1. Tap the + button
  2. Enter a budget name (e.g., "Monthly Bills January")
  3. Select a category (e.g., "Bills")
  4. Choose the month and year
  5. Toggle Recurring if this budget repeats every month
  6. Tap Save

Step 3: Add Budget Items

Now add individual items to your budget:

  1. Tap your newly created budget to expand it
  2. Tap + Add Item
  3. Enter item details:
    • Name - What is this expense? (e.g., "Electricity")
    • Amount - How much do you expect to spend? (e.g., "$100")
    • Type - Expected or Unplanned
    • Note - Additional details (optional)
  4. Tap Save

Repeat this for all items in your budget.

Understanding Budget Progress

Each budget shows:

  • Planned - Total amount you budgeted
  • Spent - How much you've actually spent (from your transactions)
  • Remaining - How much is left
  • Progress Bar - Visual indicator (turns red if over budget!)

How Spending is Calculated

SpendSee automatically matches your transactions to budgets:

  • Transactions in the same month and category count toward the budget
  • The "Spent" amount updates in real-time as you add transactions
  • No manual linking needed!

Budget Notifications (Premium)

With Premium, you can set reminders for budget due dates:

  1. Tap a budget to expand it
  2. Enable Due Date
  3. Set the payment due date
  4. Choose notification timing (1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days before)
  5. Select notification time (default: 9:00 AM)

You'll receive reminders on working days (excludes weekends).

Marking Budgets as Paid (Premium)

Once you've paid a recurring bill:

  1. Expand the budget
  2. Tap Mark as Paid
  3. Confirm the payment date

This helps you track which bills have been paid each month.

Budget Best Practices

1. Start with Essential Categories

Focus on your biggest expenses first:

  • Bills
  • Food
  • Transport
  • Rent/Mortgage

2. Use the 50/30/20 Rule

  • 50% - Needs (bills, groceries, rent)
  • 30% - Wants (entertainment, dining out)
  • 20% - Savings and debt

3. Review and Adjust

At the end of each month:

  • Compare planned vs. actual spending
  • Identify categories where you overspent
  • Adjust next month's budget accordingly

4. Copy Budgets

Instead of recreating budgets every month:

  1. Go to previous month's view
  2. Long-press a budget
  3. Select Copy to Next Month
  4. Adjust amounts as needed

5. Be Realistic

Don't set budgets that are impossible to maintain. It's better to:

  • Start with your current spending level
  • Gradually reduce by 5-10% each month
  • Celebrate small wins

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Being too restrictive - Unrealistic budgets lead to giving up ❌ Forgetting irregular expenses - Car maintenance, annual subscriptions ❌ Not tracking small purchases - They add up! ❌ Setting and forgetting - Review your budgets weekly

Next: Learn how to analyze your spending patterns

Browse More Guides