Help Center

💚 Financial Health Dashboard

Your financial wellness at a glance - not just your balance, but your overall financial health.

Health Score (0-100)

Your Financial Health Score is calculated from four key components:

• Savings Rate (30 points): Percentage of income you're saving each month
  • 20%+ = Excellent (30 pts)
  • 10-20% = Good (20 pts)
  • 0-10% = Fair (10 pts)
• Emergency Fund (25 points): Months of expenses you have saved
  • 6+ months = Excellent (25 pts)
  • 3-6 months = Good (20 pts)
  • 1-3 months = Fair (10 pts)
• Budget Adherence (25 points): How well you stick to your budgets
  • 90%+ = Excellent (25 pts)
  • 75-90% = Good (20 pts)
  • 50-75% = Fair (10 pts)
• Cash Flow (20 points): Income vs. Expenses
  • Positive = 20 pts
  • Break-even = 10 pts
  • Negative = 0 pts

Key Metrics

• Total Balance: Sum of all your accounts
• Monthly Income: Total income for current month (with month-over-month comparison)
• Monthly Expenses: Total expenses for current month (with month-over-month comparison)
• Savings Rate: Percentage of income saved this month
• Emergency Fund: How many months of expenses you have saved
• Top Spending Categories: Where your money is going

💳 Managing Accounts

Track multiple accounts (Checking, Savings, Credit Cards, Investments) in one place.

Account Types

• Checking: Your primary spending account
• Savings: Emergency fund, goals, etc.
• Credit Card: Track credit card balances
• Investment: Stocks, bonds, retirement accounts

How to Add an Account

1. Click "Add Account" on the dashboard
2. Choose account type
3. Enter account name and initial balance
4. Select currency (default: USD)
5. Click "Create Account"

🏦 Bank Connections (Plaid)

Connect your bank accounts for automatic transaction syncing - no more manual entry!

How It Works

1. Go to Accounts → "Link Bank Account"
2. Search for your bank
3. Enter your online banking credentials (secure via Plaid)
4. Select which accounts to sync
5. Transactions automatically import daily

Supported Banks

Plaid supports 12,000+ financial institutions including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Capital One, and more.

💰 Transactions

Track every dollar in and out with powerful filtering and search.

Adding Transactions

• Manual Entry: Click "+ Add Transaction" and fill in details
• Receipt Scan: Upload a photo and let OCR extract the details
• Bank Sync: Automatic import via Plaid
• CSV Import: Bulk import from spreadsheet

Advanced Filtering

Find exactly what you're looking for:

• Search by description
• Filter by category, account, or tag
• Filter by transaction type (income/expense)
• Filter by amount range
• Filter by date range
• Save your filters for quick access

Bulk Actions

• Auto-categorize uncategorized transactions
• Export filtered transactions to CSV
• Apply tags to multiple transactions

📸 Receipt Scanning

Hate typing? Use our OCR-powered receipt scanner!

How to Scan a Receipt

1. Click "Scan Receipt" button
2. Upload a photo of your receipt
3. Budgety automatically extracts:
   • Merchant name
   • Total amount
   • Date
4. Review and confirm the details
5. Transaction is created and receipt is attached

🏷️ Categories

Organize your spending into meaningful categories.

Default Categories

Budgety comes with common categories like Groceries, Dining Out, Transportation, etc. You can customize these or create your own!

Custom Categories

1. Go to Settings → Categories
2. Click "Create Category"
3. Choose a name, icon, and color
4. Select type (Income or Expense)

Categories are used for budgeting, reporting, and understanding your spending patterns.

🤖 Auto-Categorization Rules

Set it and forget it - automatically categorize transactions based on rules you define!

What Are Categorization Rules?

Rules automatically assign categories to transactions based on their description. For example: "If description contains 'Starbucks', categorize as 'Dining Out'".

How to Create a Rule

1. Go to Settings → Categorization Rules
2. Click "Create Rule"
3. Give your rule a name (e.g., "Starbucks → Dining Out")
4. Select the category to assign
5. Choose a condition type:
   • Contains: Description contains the text (most common)
   • Starts With: Description starts with the text
   • Ends With: Description ends with the text
   • Equals: Description exactly matches the text
   • Regex: Advanced pattern matching
6. Enter the match text (e.g., "Starbucks")
7. Set priority (0-100, higher = checked first)
8. Choose if case-sensitive (usually not needed)

Rule Priority

When multiple rules could match, the highest priority rule wins. Use this to handle specific cases:

• High Priority (80-100): Very specific rules (e.g., "AMAZON PRIME" → Subscriptions)
• Medium Priority (40-79): General merchant rules (e.g., "AMAZON" → Shopping)
• Low Priority (0-39): Broad category rules (e.g., "GAS" → Transportation)

Testing Rules

Use the built-in test feature to verify your rule works before saving it. Enter a sample description and see which rule matches!

Rule Statistics

Each rule tracks:

• How many times it has matched
• When it was last used
• Active/Inactive status

🔖 Tags

Add multiple tags to transactions for flexible organization beyond categories.

Use Cases for Tags

• Projects: "Kitchen Remodel", "Vacation 2024"
• Tax Deductions: "Business Expense", "Charitable"
• People: "Reimbursable", "Gift for Mom"
• Events: "Wedding", "Birthday Party"

Unlike categories (one per transaction), you can add multiple tags to track different dimensions of your spending.

📊 Smart Budgets

Set spending limits and get alerts before you overspend.

Creating a Budget

1. Go to Budgets → "Create Budget"
2. Choose a category (e.g., Groceries)
3. Set your spending limit
4. Choose period (Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly)
5. Set date range

Smart Features

• Auto-Adjust: Budget adjusts based on your income
• Rollover: Unused budget carries to next period
• Alerts: Get notified at 75%, 90%, 100% thresholds
• Progress Bars: Visual tracking of spending vs. budget

📅 Bill Reminders

Never miss a payment with automated bill tracking and reminders.

Setting Up Bill Reminders

1. Go to Bills → "Create Bill Reminder"
2. Enter bill name (e.g., "Electric Bill")
3. Set amount and due date
4. Choose frequency (Monthly, Quarterly, etc.)
5. Set reminder days (e.g., 7 days before)

Bill Tracking

• Overdue: Bills past their due date
• Due Soon: Bills due in the next 7 days
• Upcoming: Future bills
• Payment History: Track when bills were paid

Mark bills as paid to track your payment history and link them to transactions.

🔄 Recurring Expenses

Track subscriptions and recurring charges in one place.

What Are Recurring Expenses?

Subscriptions, memberships, and regular charges like Netflix, Spotify, gym memberships, etc.

Features

• See all subscriptions at a glance
• Track monthly/yearly costs
• Know when next payment is due
• Identify subscriptions you might want to cancel

🏠 Households

Manage money with your partner, family, or roommates.

Creating a Household

1. Go to Households → "Create Household"
2. Give it a name (e.g., "Smith Family")
3. Invite members by email
4. Assign roles (Admin or Member)

Household Features

• Shared Accounts: Link accounts to household for shared visibility
• Shared Budgets: Track household spending together
• Split Expenses: Easily split bills and expenses
• Permissions: Admins can manage, Members can view

💸 Splitting Expenses

Split bills with roommates, friends, or family members.

How to Split an Expense

1. Go to Splits → "Create Split Expense"
2. Enter total amount
3. Select who paid
4. Choose split method:
   • Equal: Split evenly among all members
   • Percentage: Each person pays a percentage
   • Shares: Divide by shares (e.g., 2 shares for couples)
   • Custom: Specify exact amounts
5. Track who owes what
6. Mark as settled when paid

Settlement Tracking

Budgety keeps track of who owes whom and shows outstanding balances. Mark expenses as settled when paid back.

💳 Payment Methods

Easily request and receive payments for split expenses using Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or Cash App!

What Are Payment Methods?

Payment Methods let you store your Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, and Cash App usernames so you can quickly generate payment request links for split expenses.

Supported Services

• 💙 Venmo: Popular peer-to-peer payment app
• 💳 PayPal: PayPal.me links for easy payments
• 🏦 Zelle: Bank-to-bank transfers
• 💵 Cash App: Square's payment app

Adding a Payment Method

1. Go to Settings → "💳 Payment Methods"
2. Click "Add Payment Method"
3. Select your payment service (Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
4. Enter your username/handle:
   • Venmo: Your @username (e.g., @john-doe)
   • PayPal: Your PayPal.me username (e.g., johndoe)
   • Zelle: Your email or phone number
   • Cash App: Your $cashtag (e.g., $johndoe)
5. Optionally add a display name (e.g., "Personal Venmo")
6. Set as default if desired
7. Click "Add Payment Method"

Requesting Payments

When you've paid for a split expense, you can request payment from other members:

1. Go to the split expense detail page
2. Click "Request Payment" next to an unpaid share
3. Select the payment method (Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
4. Budgety generates a payment link automatically
5. Copy the link or open it directly in the payment app
6. Share the link with the person who owes you
7. Mark as paid when you receive the payment

Payment Link Features

• Auto-Generated: Links include the correct amount and description
• Mobile-Friendly: Deep links open directly in payment apps
• Copy to Clipboard: One-click copy for easy sharing
• Payment Tracking: See status (Pending, Requested, Paid)

📊 Tax Optimization Tools

Maximize your tax savings and stay organized for tax season!

Overview

Budgety's Tax Optimization Tools help you track deductions, donations, quarterly taxes, and tax-advantaged accounts all year long.

Tax Deduction Tracker

Track all your tax-deductible expenses throughout the year:

• Categories: Business Expenses, Home Office, Medical, Education, Vehicle, and more
• Receipt Storage: Upload and attach receipts for documentation
• Verification: Mark deductions as verified for accuracy
• Year Filtering: View deductions by tax year
• Category Summaries: See totals by deduction category

Charitable Donation Tracker

Keep records of all your charitable contributions:

• Organization Details: Store name and EIN (Tax ID)
• Donation Types: Cash, goods, or stock donations
• Fair Market Value: Track value for non-cash donations
• Acknowledgment Letters: Upload donation receipts
• 501(c)(3) Verification: Mark qualified organizations

Quarterly Tax Estimates

For freelancers and self-employed individuals:

• Calculate Estimates: Based on income and deductions
• Due Date Tracking: Q1-Q4 deadlines (Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, Jan 15)
• Payment Tracking: Record payments and confirmation numbers
• Self-Employment Tax: Automatically includes 15.3% SE tax
• Payment Status: Track paid vs. unpaid quarters

Tax-Advantaged Accounts

Maximize contributions to tax-advantaged accounts:

• Account Types: HSA, 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, 529
• 2024 Limits: Built-in contribution limits
  • HSA Individual: $4,150 | Family: $8,300
  • 401(k): $23,000 | 50+: $30,500
  • IRA/Roth IRA: $7,000 | 50+: $8,000
  • 529: $18,000
• Progress Tracking: Visual progress bars
• Remaining Room: See how much more you can contribute
• Tax Savings Calculator: Estimate potential tax savings
• Employer Match: Track employer contributions

Year-End Tax Report

Generate a comprehensive report for your accountant:

• All deductions by category
• All charitable donations
• Quarterly tax payments
• Tax-advantaged account contributions
• Print-friendly format
• Export for tax preparation

📈 Reports & Analytics

Understand your financial patterns with powerful reporting.

Available Reports

• Income vs Expenses: Track cash flow over time
• Category Breakdown: See where your money goes
• Trends: Spot patterns in your spending
• Year-over-Year: Compare this year to last year
• Custom Date Ranges: Analyze any time period

Visualizations

• Pie charts for category distribution
• Line graphs for trends over time
• Bar charts for comparisons

📥 Import/Export

Move data in and out of Budgety easily.

Importing Transactions

1. Go to Transactions → "Import"
2. Upload CSV file from your bank
3. Map columns (Date, Description, Amount)
4. Preview and confirm
5. Duplicate detection prevents re-imports

Exporting Data

Export your transactions to CSV for:

• Tax preparation
• Accountant review
• Backup purposes
• Analysis in Excel/Google Sheets

🔍 Saved Searches

Save your favorite transaction filters for quick access.

How to Save a Search

1. Apply filters on Transactions page
2. Click "Save Search"
3. Give it a name (e.g., "Business Expenses 2024")
4. Access it anytime from the saved searches dropdown

Great for recurring reports, tax preparation, or tracking specific projects.

👤 Profile & Security

Keep your account secure and personalized.

Profile Settings

• Profile Photo: Upload a photo for personalization
• Personal Info: Update name and email
• Password: Change your password regularly

Security Best Practices

• Use a strong, unique password
• Don't share your login credentials
• Log out on shared devices
• Review connected bank accounts regularly