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Quick start guide

Available onAndroidiOSWeb

This guide takes you from installing Beyond Budget to running your budget month after month. The steps follow zero-based budgeting, where you budget the money you actually have; they work the same way for classic budgeting, where you budget your expected income instead.

Step 1: Get the app and sign in​

Beyond Budget runs on Android, iOS and the web, and your budget syncs between them.

Sign in with Google, Apple, email or (on Android) Facebook, or tap Try without an account to look around first. See Signing in for the options on each platform. A few features depend on the device; Platform availability lists them.

Step 2: Choose your budgeting style​

When you first open the app, it asks how you like to manage money:

  • I want every dollar planned: Zero-based budgeting. Start from your account balances and assign every cent to a category. See Zero-Based Budgeting.
  • I want simple category limits: Classic budgeting. Estimate your monthly income and allocate it across categories. See Classic Budgeting.
  • I just want to track spending: Simple tracker. Log income and expenses by category, with no account balances to manage.

Then pick Walk me through it for a step-by-step setup with tips, or I'll take it from here to skip the guided setup.

tip

You can't switch an existing budget to another style later, but you can create a new budget with a different style and copy your categories into it. See Multiple budgets.

Step 3: Gather your numbers​

  • Recent statements: your latest bank, credit card and loan statements give you a clear snapshot of where you stand today.
  • Recurring payments: list your fixed expenses (rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, subscriptions) with their due dates and amounts. You'll use them for targets, reminders and future transactions.

Step 4: Follow the Getting Started checklist​

The Budget tab shows a Getting Started card that tracks your setup:

  1. Start tracking your money: add your accounts (checking, savings, credit cards, loans). See Account types.
  2. See how much you can budget: in a zero-based budget, add an account with a balance or log your first income; in a classic budget, add your first income.
  3. Plan where your money should go: allocate money to your categories.
  4. Stay in control: log your expenses to track where your money goes.
  5. Build your budgeting habit: check in regularly to stay on track.

Step 5: Set up categories and targets​

  • Groups and categories: shape your categories around your life: essentials like rent and groceries, savings goals like a holiday or an emergency fund, and the fun stuff too.
  • Targets: give categories a goal, such as a monthly amount, a bill due on a date, or a savings balance to reach.
tip

Treat savings like a bill: fund your savings categories early instead of saving whatever is left at the end of the month.

Step 6: Bring in your transactions​

  • Enter them yourself: tap Add in the bottom bar to log an expense, income or transfer.
  • Import a bank file: More › Profile › Import data reads CSV, OFX and QIF files.
  • Scan a receipt: Smart AI receipt scan turns a photo into a transaction (Android and iOS).
  • Let your notifications do it: the AI notification importer turns your bank's notifications into transactions (Android).
  • Just ask: BudgetChat in the side menu can log an expense from a plain sentence.
info

Every so often, compare the balances in the app with your real accounts to catch any transaction you missed.

Step 7: Give every dollar a job​

Assign the money you have to your categories until Ready to allocate reaches zero. The Budget health check card on the Budget tab tells you when there's money left to allocate, when you've overspent a category or when you've allocated more than you have.

Life changes, and so can your budget: when an unexpected expense comes up, move money between categories without guilt.

Step 8: Track as you go​

  • Log expenses as they happen, or check in once a day. Small, regular updates keep the budget accurate.
  • Use future and recurring transactions for bills you know are coming, and Reminders (side menu) so nothing slips.

Step 9: Review and refine​

At the end of each month, open Insights from the side menu:

tip

The badges are a fun way to explore the app: each one highlights a budgeting habit or a feature worth trying.

Then repeat steps 7 to 9 every month: allocate new income as it arrives, keep tracking, and review. The more you use these tools, the more natural budgeting becomes.

THIS IS IMPORTANT

Celebrate your wins, big or small: sticking to your budget, reaching a savings milestone, or just making a better spending choice. Each one is a step towards financial independence.

Keep learning​

  • More › Knowledge hub: articles with financial tips.
  • More › Support: Ask Beyond answers questions about app features, and there are links to the FAQ and the Reddit community.
  • r/beyondbudget: share tips and ask other users.