FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different periods for different categories?

Currently, all categories share the same budget period.

How do I use envelope budgeting in Lunch Money?

Envelope budgeting, also known as cash stuffing, divides your money into spending categories. In Lunch Money, you can achieve this by:

Setting up categories for each "envelope"
Using "rollover to same category" to keep money in each envelope
Tracking spending against each category's Available balance
Moving money between categories to prevent overspending

Learn more:

A Beginner's Guide to Envelope Budgeting

How do I zero-based budget in Lunch Money?

Zero-based budgeting means assigning every dollar a job. In Lunch Money, you can achieve this by:

Turning on general pool rollovers
Budgeting until "Left to Budget" reaches $0
Using balance adjustments to align with your actual bank balance
Moving money between categories to prevent overspending

Learn more:

Zero-Based Budgeting Guide

How do I set up sinking funds in Lunch Money?

Sinking funds help save for future expenses. In Lunch Money, you can achieve this by:

Creating a category for each fund (e.g., "Car Repairs")
Budgeting money to it monthly
Using budget presets to regularly fund the category
Setting rollover to "same category" so funds accumulate

Learn more:

How do I set up goals in Lunch Money?

This feature will be coming soon! Stay tuned by upvoting the feature request here.

How can I adjust the starting balance for the period without using rollovers?

If you have money available for budgeting that isn't new income (like cash gifts, loan repayments, or existing savings), you can:

Create an income category (name it something like 'Starting Balance')
Set it to 'Treat as income'.
In , set “Base income on” to “Larger of Budgeted and Actual Income Activity”.
Enter the desired starting balance in the "Expected" column for that category. In the screenshot below, we’ve set it up so our starting balance is $10,000.

This adds the money to your general pool without affecting your actual income tracking. You may also simply enter the amount in the "Expected" column of any existing income category.

Can I budget using my total bank balance instead of just recent income?

Yes! To start with your existing bank balance:

Enable "Roll over 'Left to Budget' and 'Overbudgeted' amounts" in
Set a balance adjustment for your first period to match your current bank balance

Example: If you wish to start budgeting from Jan 1, 2025 and had $15,000 in the bank on Dec 31, 2024, set your rollover balance to $15,000 starting Jan 1, 2025.

From then on, your Net Total Available will stay aligned with your actual bank balance.

Why do I see "View not aligned with budgeting period" in the Budget Breakdown?

This indicates that the date range you are viewing doesn't match a full budgeting period.

For example, if you are budgeting by calendar month (i.e., July 1 - July 31), but looking at the "Month to date" filter (i.e. July 1 - July 28), it won't be possible to display the breakdown:

To resolve this, use the period picker to adjust the date range to cover the entire period you wish to view:

If you'd like to view the Budget Breakdown for multiple periods, you can do that by setting the date range to the first day of the first period, and the last day of the last period. The budget data will display as long as all periods fit perfectly within the date range.

Why are my category rollover settings "not activated"?

When you enable category rollovers via the 'Settings View', the rollover options are set, but not activated. This is because you still need to set the starting date and amount for the rollover. If that's the case, you will see the text "(not activated)" next to the rollover option:

To activate your rollovers, you will need to click on the arrow to the fair right of each category row to open the side panel. Under "Rollover options", you will need to click on "Add New" (for same category rollovers) or "edit" (for general pool rollovers) to set the starting balance and date:

Is there a comprehensive budgeting video tutorial?

This video tutorial below provides an in-depth overview of the budgeting page and all the main features:

Last updated 3 months ago

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