Easy Budgeting

📖 User Guide

Welcome to Easy Budgeting! This guide will help you get the most out of the app.

🚀 Getting Started

Easy Budgeting helps you track your income and expenses, set budgets, and visualize your spending habits.

💳 Managing Transactions

Adding Transactions

• Description: Enter what the transaction was for (e.g., "Grocery shopping at Walmart")
• Amount: Enter the dollar amount (without the $ sign)
• Type: Select "Income" for money received, "Expense" for money spent
• Category: Choose the most relevant category
• Date: Select when the transaction occurred

Filtering Transactions

Use the filter section to find specific transactions:

• Search: Type keywords to find transactions by description or category
• Category: Show only transactions from a specific category
• Date Range: Set start and end dates to view a specific period

Deleting Transactions

Click the ✕ button next to any transaction to remove it. You'll be asked to confirm before deletion.

💰 Setting Budgets

Budgets help you control spending by setting limits for each category.

How to Set a Budget

1. Go to the Budgets tab
2. Find the category you want to budget
3. Enter your monthly limit in the Budget column
4. The budget is saved automatically

Understanding the Budget Table

• Budget: Your set spending limit
• Spent: How much you've spent this month
• Remaining: How much you have left (green = positive, red = over budget)
• Progress: Visual bar showing spending progress
  • 🟢 Green: Under 75% - You're doing great!
  • 🟡 Yellow: 75-90% - Getting close to limit
  • 🔴 Red: Over 90% - At or over budget

Copy from Previous Month

Click "Copy from Previous Month" to quickly apply last month's budget to the current month.

📊 Understanding Charts

Expenses by Category (Doughnut Chart)

This chart shows how your expenses are distributed across different categories for the current month.

• Larger slices = more spending in that category
• Hover over slices to see exact amounts
• Click legend items to show/hide categories

Monthly Trends (Line Chart)

This chart displays your financial trends over the last 6 months:

• Green line: Total income each month
• Red line: Total expenses each month
• Blue line: Net balance (income minus expenses)

Use this to identify spending patterns and see if you're saving more over time.

🏷️ Custom Categories

The app comes with default categories, but you can add your own!

Adding a Category

1. Go to the Categories tab
2. Type your new category name
3. Click Add

Removing a Category

Click the ✕ next to any custom category to remove it. Default categories cannot be deleted.

💾 Backup & Restore

Keep your data safe by regularly backing it up.

Exporting Data (Backup)

1. Click the 📤 Export button in the header
2. A JSON file will download containing all your data
3. Store this file somewhere safe (cloud storage, email it to yourself, etc.)

Importing Data (Restore)

1. Click the 📥 Import button in the header
2. Select your backup JSON file
3. Your data will be restored

✨ Tips & Tricks

❓ Frequently Asked Questions