How-to
Budget vs Actual
Set budgets by category and track variance month by month.
1 min readLast updated 27 April 2026
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What it does
Define spending budgets per category, then compare them against real transactions. Variances are colour-coded so you can spot overspending at a glance.
How to use it
- Go to Reports and select Budget vs Actual
- Click Manage Budgets to create or edit budgets per category
- Enter an annual or monthly amount for each category
- Select the year and month to review
- Green rows = under budget, red rows = over budget
Tips
- Annual budgets are prorated to monthly amounts automatically.
- Progress bars show spending rate relative to budget for pacing through the month.
- You can set budgets for income categories too, to track revenue targets.
- Export the report to CSV for external spreadsheets.
- Combine with the Cash Flow Forecast to see how overruns affect future balances.