Goals
A goal tells a line how much it needs. The line then shows whether it’s on track and how much to assign to get there. Goals don’t move money by themselves: you still assign it, or click Budget X to assign what the goal asks for.
Each line can have one goal.
Add a goal
Section titled “Add a goal”- Hover over the line and click the dashed target button in front of its name (Create goal). On a touch screen, it’s always visible. You can also select the line and click Create goal in the Goal section of the side panel.
- Under Frequency, choose how often the goal repeats. See Frequency.
- Under How it works, choose what the goal measures. See How it works.
- Enter the amount and fill in the fields that appear for your choice.
- Check the sentence at the bottom, for example “Budgets $400.00 each month”.
- Click Save.
The goal starts in the period you’re viewing.
Frequency
Section titled “Frequency”| Frequency | Use it for | Extra field |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | An amount every week, such as a weekly grocery run. | Repeats on: the weekday. |
| Biweekly | An amount every two weeks. | First payment date. |
| Monthly | An amount every month, such as rent. On a budget that doesn’t reset monthly, it’s called Every period and repeats every period. | None. |
| Yearly | A payment once a year, such as insurance. The amount is spread over the periods before each due date. | First due date. It repeats every year on that date. |
| By date | A total you need by a certain day, such as a holiday. The amount is spread over the periods until then. | Due date. With Budget another or Refill up to, also an optional Repeat. |
| Open-ended | A balance to build up with no deadline, such as an emergency fund. | None. |
Weekly and Biweekly goals count how many times the day falls in each period. A goal of 50 every Friday needs 250 in a month with five Fridays, and 200 in a month with four.
A By date goal’s due date must be after today, unless the goal repeats. With Budget another or Refill up to, turn on Repeat to start a new cycle after each due date, every 1 to 11 months or 1 to 5 years. A Reach a balance goal with a due date can’t repeat.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”Every goal measures progress in one of three ways:
- Budget another budgets the amount fresh each period. Only what you assign counts, so spending along the way is expected and never changes what the goal asks for. Use it for things you spend as you go, like groceries.
- Refill up to refills the line to the target each period. Whatever is left over from last period counts, so you only assign the gap. Use it for a line that should start every period at the same level.
- Reach a balance tracks the line’s Available amount itself. Spending sets progress back and raises what the goal asks for right away. Use it for savings. When Available reaches the target, the goal shows Achieved.
Not every frequency offers every option:
| Frequency | Budget another | Refill up to | Reach a balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Yearly | Yes | Yes | No |
| By date | Yes | Yes | Yes (the default) |
| Open-ended | No | No | Yes (the only one) |
For example, a Groceries line has a 400 monthly goal and 50 left over from last month. With Budget another, it asks for 400. With Refill up to, it asks for 350.
With Yearly and By date goals, Budget another counts everything you’ve assigned since the cycle started, and splits what’s still missing over the periods left before the due date.
Limits
Section titled “Limits”Two optional switches cap what a goal asks for:
- Stop at a balance (Budget another only): stop asking once the saved balance, meaning carryover plus assigned, reaches this cap. For example, budget 100 a month for an emergency fund and stop at 3,000.
- Monthly funding cap, or Funding cap per period on a budget that doesn’t reset monthly (Refill up to only): the most the goal asks for in one period, however far below the target the line is.
See what a goal needs
Section titled “See what a goal needs”A line with a goal shows its status under the name:
- Need X this month (or this period): assign this much to stay on track. The line’s Available amount is highlighted in amber.
- Weekly and Biweekly goals that still need money say how far you’re covered instead, for example “Funded through the 14th” or “Need $50.00 by the 21st”.
- Funded: nothing more needed this period.
- Achieved: a Reach a balance goal hit its target.
- Snoozed: the goal is paused for this period.
- An Open-ended goal never asks for a set amount, so it shows how far along it is, for example “$600.00 / $3,000.00 (20%)”.
Click the target button in front of the line’s name (Goal details) to see more:
- the goal, for example “Budget $400.00” or “Reach $3,000.00”, and how often it repeats,
- a progress bar and the figures behind it, such as Saved, Target, Left to save or Balance,
- Budget X, which adds what the goal needs on top of this period’s assigned amount, for this period only. If the line is overspent, it usually adds enough to cover that too. For an Open-ended goal, it assigns the whole gap to the target,
- Snooze and Edit goal.
Yearly and By date goals also have a Funding plan in the side panel. It lists how much to assign in each period until the due date, and what’s left to fund after each one.
Snooze a goal
Section titled “Snooze a goal”Skipping a month? In Goal details, click Snooze this month (Snooze this period on a budget that doesn’t reset monthly). The goal asks for nothing in the period you’re viewing and shows Snoozed. The next period asks again as usual.
To undo it, click Resume. Open-ended goals can’t be snoozed, because they never ask for a set amount.
Edit or delete a goal
Section titled “Edit or delete a goal”- Edit: in Goal details, click Edit goal, change anything and click Save. Started shows the month the goal began.
- Delete: in the edit window, click Delete goal, or use the trash button in the side panel’s Goal section. Confirm with Delete goal. Your assigned amounts stay as they are.
Goals across the budget
Section titled “Goals across the budget”The side panel’s Goals section adds up every goal for the period: the total they call for, what’s still needed, and which lines need money. See The side panel.