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Budgeting Basics

Transactions

Add, edit, find, undo, delete, split, and amortize the events that move your budget.

A transaction is anything that moves money. The transaction list at Transactions is the searchable record of everything you've logged.

Add a transaction

  1. Open Transactions (or tap the + floating action button on the Dashboard).
  2. Tap Add Transaction.
  3. Enter:
    • Amount
    • Date (defaults to today)
    • Description
    • Category — start typing the name; matching categories surface as suggestions.
  4. Save.

The Dashboard's progress bar for that category updates immediately. Switch tabs and back; the new transaction is at the top of the list.

Edit a transaction

  1. Open Transactions.
  2. Tap the transaction.
  3. Change any field — amount, date, description, category.
  4. Save.

Edited transactions update both the transaction list and the affected month's totals.

Split a transaction across categories

A single charge can legitimately cover more than one budget category. The classic example: a $300 family cell-phone bill where $100 is really a business expense, or a Costco run that's $200 of groceries plus a $50 tool. Splits let you record the bank charge once and have it show up in the right categories on your dashboard.

  1. Start a transaction the normal way (Add Transaction or the + action on a category row).
  2. Below the Category field, tap Split this transaction across multiple categories.
  3. Two starter rows appear, each set to half the amount. Edit them:
    • Pick the category for each row.
    • Toggle between $ (absolute amounts) and % (percentages) at the top of the split section.
  4. Tap Add row to split across more than two categories. Tap the × next to a row to remove it.
  5. The sum indicator at the bottom right shows your running total. It's green when the rows balance to the transaction total (or to 100% in percent mode) and amber when they don't.
  6. Tap Add & Close. The bank statement still sees one $300 charge; your dashboard sees the breakdown across each category.

When to use percent mode. Percentages are the right pick for recurring splits — the AT&T bill where the business share is always 33%. Next month when the bill is $310 instead of $300, the split stays 33/67 instead of getting stuck at the original dollar amounts.

Editing a split later. Open the transaction, change anything you need, and save. If the amount changes on a single-category transaction, the dashboard updates automatically. For an already-split transaction, re-open the split section and adjust the rows.

Deleting a split. Deleting the transaction removes the split too — there's no separate "remove split" step.

Spread a transaction over multiple months (amortize)

Sometimes one charge covers months of value — an annual software license, a yearly insurance premium, a 12-month gym membership paid up-front. Recording the full hit in a single month distorts that month and hides the cost from every later month. Amortization spreads the expense evenly across months so each month sees its share.

  1. Start a transaction the normal way and pick the right category.
  2. Below the Category field, tap Spread this transaction over multiple months.
  3. Enter the number of months (default 12) and the start month (defaults to the transaction's budget month).
  4. The preview line shows what each month will look like — e.g. $100.00/mo × 12 months — Apr 2026 → Mar 2027.
  5. Tap Add & Close.

The bank statement still sees the original full-amount charge on the transaction date. Your dashboard shows only one month's share at a time. Future months show their share automatically as you navigate forward.

When NOT to amortize. If the charge really is a one-month expense (a single grocery run, a regular phone bill), don't amortize — that just hides legitimate spending. Amortization is for prepaid services that genuinely span multiple months.

Combining splits and amortization. Today the form supports either splitting or amortizing on a single transaction. The data model handles both at once (e.g. a $1,200 software license, half personal / half business, spread over 12 months), so future versions of the form will let you mix them. For now, pick the one that better describes the spend.

Default split for a category (recurring split rules)

If the same transaction always splits the same way every month — your phone bill that's always 67% personal and 33% business — set up a Default Split on the source category instead of re-doing it each time.

  1. Open Categories and edit the source category (e.g. Cell Phone).
  2. Expand Default Split.
  3. Pick a target category (e.g. Business Expenses) and enter the percent that should go there (e.g. 33). Add as many target rows as you need; the residual stays in the source category.
  4. Save.

From then on, when you add a transaction to that category, the form shows a small "💡 This category has a default split — Apply" prompt. Tap Apply and the split section opens already filled in. You can still adjust before saving.

Because templates are stored as percentages, they keep working when the bill amount changes month to month — next month's $310 bill still splits 67/33, not stuck at the old dollar amounts.

Search and filter

The Transactions page supports several filters at once:

  • Date range — start and end dates.
  • Category — single or multi-select.
  • Type — income, expense, savings.
  • Budget month — restrict to a specific month.
  • Free-text search across descriptions.
  • Limit — show 25, 50, 100, or all matching transactions.

Filters are stackable, and the list re-sorts as you adjust them.

Delete (and undo)

  1. Open the transaction.
  2. Tap Delete.
  3. Confirm.

Just deleted something by accident? Use the Undo action that appears immediately after delete. It restores the transaction with all original fields.

If you've moved on, you can also re-create the transaction by hand — totals will rebuild themselves.

Bulk-load history

You don't have to log historical transactions one at a time. See:

  • CSV import — upload a bank statement and map columns.
  • AI bank statement import — paste raw bank data and let Hank parse it.
  • Receipt scanning — snap a photo for a single transaction.

Linking transactions to assets and debt

If a transaction is a transfer to a savings account or a payment toward a debt, you can link it to the matching account in Assets or Debt — the account's balance moves automatically. See those articles for details.

Last updated April 30, 2026
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