Transaction Actions

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Creating transactions

There are various options for adding transactions within Lunch Money. Transactions can be automatically imported, manually imported, or manually created directly within Lunch Money.

For details on automatic bank syncing, see here.

For details on CSV importing, see here.

For details on our Developer API, see here.

Manual creation

How to create a new transaction

Individual transactions can be manually created on the Transactions page:

  1. Click on the 'Add to cash' button at the top left above the table:

  1. This will create a new entry row in the table for you to fill out. Go through each field to enter as many details as possible, starting with the date.

If you are in the current month’s view, the date will default to today’s date. If you are on a past or future month, the date will default to the last day of the month. You can click 'Back to this month' at the top right of the page to quickly go back to the current period.

  1. To save the new transaction, press enter on the keyboard, or click the green "Add" button on the far right side of the row:

  1. Once the new transaction is added, the balance of the associated manually-managed or asset will be updated as well.

If you have manually-managed assets set up or synced accounts with the option to "Allow modifications to transactions", you can also create transactions that will automatically be linked to those accounts. To do so, click the arrow next to "Add to Cash" to open the dropdown, and you will see these assets or accounts listed at the top of the list. Note: Manually added transaction associated with synced accounts will not affect the account balance, as that will always sync directly from the connected institution.

How to create a new transfer

A transfer of money between two accounts involves creating an expense from the originating account, and a credit to the destination account. In Lunch Money, these transactions are categorized in a dedicated "Payment, Transfer" category so that they are not counted towards your income and expenses.

We recommend using the default "Payment, Transfer" category for transfers. This is the default category that is applied when using the 'Create transfer' option.

To quickly create both the debit and credit transactions of a transfer, you can use the 'Create Transfer' option:

  1. Go to the Transactions page

  2. Click on the arrow next to the 'Add to cash' button, and then on "Create transfer" near the bottom of the dropdown list:

'Create Transfer' option in the 'Add to cash' dropdown

  1. In the panel that opens up on the right side of the page, enter the transfer amount, and the two accounts from and to which the money is moving. Make sure to review the date as well. You can leave the payee name as "Transfer".

  2. Click on "Create"

The debit and credit transactions created, will be automatically grouped. They will appear as a single entry in the table, with the sum of zero as they cancel each other out.

How to create a new recurring transaction

You can use the 'Create from Recurring' option to quickly create a new transaction linked to an existing Recurring Item. Transactions created using this option will have all the fields automatically filled in based on the Recurring Item, making it a great option for those entering transactions manually.

To quickly create a new recurring transaction, you can use the 'Create from Recurring' option:

  1. Go to the Transactions page

  2. Click on the arrow next to the 'Add to cash' button, and then on "Create from Recurring" near the bottom of the dropdown list:

'Create from Recurring' option in the 'Add to cash' dropdown

  1. In the panel that opens up on the right side of the page, select the relevant Recurring Item, and click on 'Create'.

You will only see Recurring Items occurring in the period that you are viewing. If you are looking for recurring items in the current period, make sure to clear any filters and click on 'Back to this month' to return to the current period.

Quick Add Feature

If you are looking to quickly add a large number of transactions manually, there is a hidden feature that allows you to quickly add multiple transactions one after another. You can access it here: Lunch Money's Quick Add Transaction Page

Updating transactions

Individual updates

Transaction details are updated from the Transactions page by clicking into any of the cells in the table view, or from the 'Transaction Details' panel, accessed by clicking the arrow to the far-right of the row.

Keep in mind that depending on the type of transaction, certain cells may not be available to edit:

  • Synced transactions cannot have their amount fields updated.

  • Transactions from accounts that are set to not allow modifications, cannot be revised.

  • The category and payee cannot be changed for a transaction linked to a recurring item (you’d need to edit the recurring item itself).

  • Pending transactions cannot be revised, but you can still add Notes.

Bulk updates

If you would like to update multiple transactions at once (eg. set the same category, tag, account, etc.), you can click on the checkbox to the far-left of the row to add transactions to your selection.

You can use the SHIFT key on the keyboard to quickly select subsequent transactions.

On the right-side of the screen, you will find the 'Selected Transactions' information area, including calculations for average amount and selected total. Click on the "Bulk-Edit" button, then toggle-on any of the fields or properties that you would like to change. To finalize, click on "Save Changes".

Here’s a list of all available bulk edit actions that can be done:

  • Set Date

  • Set Payee

  • Set Category

  • Set Note

  • Set Currency

  • Set all to uncategorized

  • Remove all notes

  • Move to account

  • Add tags

  • Link all recurring

  • Unlink all recurring

  • Remove all tags

  • Mark all as reviewed

  • Mark all as unreviewed

Deleting transactions

How to delete a transaction

To delete a transaction on the Transactions page, open the 'Transaction Details' panel by clicking the arrow to the far-right of the row. In the panel that opens up, scroll all the way down and click on the red "Delete this transaction" button. To confirm, click on "Yes, delete" in the confirmation dialogue.

A green confirmation message will appear on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and the transaction will no longer appear in the table.

How to delete transactions in bulk

If you would like to delete multiple transactions at once, you can click on the checkbox to the far-left of the row to add transactions to your selection. On the right-side of the screen, you will find 'Selected Transactions' information, including calculations for average amount and selected total.

Make sure to carefully review the selected transactions. Once transactions are deleted, they cannot be retrieved.

To proceed with deleting, click on the red "Delete" button. To confirm, review the message and click on "Yes, delete" in the confirmation dialogue. A green confirmation message will appear on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and the transactions will no longer appear in the table.

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