Back to BudgetLabs
Documentation
How to budget like you mean it.
Everything that ships with BudgetLabs, written down. Start with the Quickstart if you’re new.
Getting Started
New here? Start with these.
Budgeting Basics
The dashboard, categories, and transactions you log every month.
- The DashboardRead the zero-based dashboard: cards, progress bars, month navigation, and the quick-add button.
- CategoriesCreate, edit, and organize the buckets your money flows into and out of — including default splits for recurring shared expenses.
- TransactionsAdd, edit, find, undo, delete, split, amortize, and track reimbursable expenses.
- CSV ImportBulk-load transactions from a bank or card statement export.
- Auto-categorization RulesTell BudgetLabs how to categorize transactions whose description matches a pattern you choose.
- Monthly Archive & Sankey FlowReview past months and visualize how income flowed through your categories.
- Calendar ViewSee transactions by day, drill into a date, track annual and multi-year renewals that auto-flow into your budget, and spot patterns the list view hides.
- Vacation ModePause a category for a defined window so it doesn't distort your monthly totals.
- Bill RemindersPay every bill on the optimal day — never early, never late — using a three-bucket queue, AI bill scanning, and auto-detected mark-paid.
- Annual EventsPlan for yearly and multi-year renewals — passport, vehicle registration, annual fees — so they never blindside a single month.
- Cash CoverageA forecast on the Bills page: does your projected spendable cash cover every credit card coming due over the next 45 days?
The Lab
Insights, scenarios, goals, and the terminal.
- InsightsThe customizable analytics dashboard: forecast, net worth, cash-flow Sankey, and trend signals.
- ScenariosRun what-if planning without touching your real budget.
- GoalsPersistent financial goals with live what-if trajectory charts: debt payoff, savings target, emergency fund, and net-worth target.
- TerminalA command-driven interface for power users who'd rather type than tap.
Hank (AI Assistant)
Talk to your budget. Import receipts and statements.
- Meet HankBudgetLabs's AI assistant — what it does, what it won't do, and how to talk to it.
- AI Bank Statement ImportPaste raw bank text or upload a statement; let the AI extract clean transactions.
- Receipt ScanningSnap a receipt with your phone and let the AI fill in the transaction form.
- Connect Your AI AssistantConnect Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP client to your budget — read-only, with your permission.
Assets, Debt & Net Worth
Track what you own, what you owe, and how the gap moves.
- Assets & SavingsTrack what you own — checking, savings, retirement, real estate, crypto, more.
- Debt TrackerTrack what you owe — credit cards, student loans, mortgage, auto, personal loans — with APR, a projected debt-free date, and payoff progress.
- Lending Money to Another BudgetLabs UserLend money to another BudgetLabs member — a parent to a kid, one friend to another — and track the real, shared balance as payments are made and confirmed.
Sharing & Multiple Budgets
Share one budget with your household, or run several from one account.
- Family SharingPro feature. Share one budget with your spouse, partner, or household — up to five people, no per-seat charge.
- Multiple BudgetsPro feature. Own and switch between several budgets — your own plus separate ones for kids or students you're teaching. One subscription covers them all.
- Currency & FormatKeep your budget in your own currency, with your own number and date formatting.
Account, Plans & Security
Subscription, security, and how your data is protected.