# Step 5: Miscellaneous Features

{% hint style="success" %}
You're on Step 5 of Lunch Money's Budgeting Guide!
{% endhint %}

**Jump to:**

* [**Historical Spend**](#historical-spend)
* [**Settings View**](#settings-view)
* [**Hide categories with no activity and no budget**](#hide-categories-with-no-activity-and-no-budget)
* [**Budget Notes**](#budget-notes)
* [**Budget Breakdown (Overview page)**](#budget-breakdown-overview-page)
* [**Monthly Summary (Transactions Page)**](#monthly-summary-transactions-page)

***

Congratulations! You've learned the fundamentals of budgeting in Lunch Money - from [setting up your budget periods](https://support.lunchmoney.app/guides/step-2-setting-up-your-budget#setting-your-budgeting-period) and categories to [managing rollovers](https://support.lunchmoney.app/guides/step-2-setting-up-your-budget#defining-rollover-options) and [making adjustments](https://support.lunchmoney.app/guides/step-4-budgeting#available-balance-adjustments).

As you continue your budgeting journey, you might find these additional features helpful. They're not essential for getting started, but they can make your budgeting experience even smoother and more tailored to your needs.

## Historical Spend

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?index=15&list=PL7uAIYDX_Pk0i8p1X9Qtfh1OVfKPe8hTl&v=UfKfwNcbt5Y>" %}

Want to see your spending patterns? The Activity column gives you two ways to dive into your transaction history:

* **Quick view**: Click the magnifying glass icon to see all transactions for the current period.

  <figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdlSrOsNAQya9zVCA2pw9r5NimOqLC_Qw63XbxyRHkiV1GuCeQFiMJnXbrL4q_3WIuczM-wQRsNhtrlVbysOERzfweFPENiyaP43UbKfP6TeTPHZmlHxby65geM5JshOXB94nLq?key=suIPa4HPoah-nCtJhzHxELxU" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Historical trends**: Hover over the Activity amount to see the 'Historical Activity' tooltip. This shows:
  * Past spending for this category
  * Percentage changes between periods
  * Quick access to historical period's transactions (click the magnifying glass)

    <figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdbPTXx2JhOk33Xvae8bzEg2lc9VYkAFN-ojR-I6y-71EiUKcfaSU3WlIUozIm97D6brvxRw3yM99y8kAfTMTVHkyvzKn9PvGrB7amBKk5Z5CT04Hf6eaQ2c_t9_Qu4DBhzeN0b?key=suIPa4HPoah-nCtJhzHxELxU" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Use these trends to make smarter budgeting decisions - if you spent $290 on food last period but only $150 the period before, you'll know what's realistic for your current budget.

## Settings View

Need a quick overview of all your budget settings? Switch to Settings View to see your budget presets and rollover configurations at a glance - no need to check each category individually.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf_sLD22GLhaverQGwqm9pR79fv2AM-y6Hw6D2_tTYdnyYGi3m8AxIorSqtUriUC1glndH-jB3u4LjvKdVe9gxVpKjG2Ta0zsbBspM-YicJSMFrFBQ9j6t1Pu9OI6wzhBpKn6YIgA?key=suIPa4HPoah-nCtJhzHxELxU" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Hide categories with no activity and no budget

Too many categories cluttering your view? Use the toggle in <img src="https://160037560-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M2W9WT63LQTW7JYT64B%2Fuploads%2FppBIS3NFQe6hqT5FIIKS%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=cb702a6d-2dc5-4434-a801-85765eb877c3" alt="Budget Settings" data-size="line"> to hide empty categories and focus on what matters.

<figure><img src="https://160037560-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M2W9WT63LQTW7JYT64B%2Fuploads%2FuFM1xw0KGoAGM8I27VUF%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c3e5e2f9-d3ec-4ee8-bfe3-bf8c465f8fac" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Budget Notes

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?index=18&list=PL7uAIYDX_Pk0i8p1X9Qtfh1OVfKPe8hTl&v=nqQN4T9sgc0>" %}

Notes can be added at the category level each period, to add additional context and personal reminders for your budgets. Whether it's explaining a one-off expense, tracking seasonal patterns, or clarifying adjustments, this makes it easier to understand past budgets, plan smarter for the future, and stay aligned when collaborating with others.

You will find the Notes field on the right-side panel when editing categories on the Budget page:

<figure><img src="https://160037560-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M2W9WT63LQTW7JYT64B%2Fuploads%2F42NYWX30w14S10EGIQf4%2F8b83df91d5cba1e15bd4ccb707e5fe6c.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=85cfffa9-3fc9-4699-90a2-b1e8f0fc5fa1" alt="" width="486"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Once you add a note, you can view it by hovering on the note icon next to the category name:

<figure><img src="https://160037560-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M2W9WT63LQTW7JYT64B%2Fuploads%2FpIS9ICZ93kZECvtyUQ4N%2Fbudget%20notes.png?alt=media&#x26;token=60383c12-d6c6-4254-8aac-92ab5df7a2a4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Budget Breakdown (Overview page)

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?index=16&list=PL7uAIYDX_Pk0i8p1X9Qtfh1OVfKPe8hTl&v=nYHBhnsqgA4>" %}

Want to see where every dollar goes? The Budget Breakdown on the Overview page shows your spending across all categories in a visual format. Click the cog icon (top right, above the income bar) to customize what you see:

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcf3Xh5ZxeaghbMyvZrR5jhMQhQs3lcz-zOCkw7fB2o2r_jo9u1SZXygzfONbHugoaaIjTpLV1Ob80BgVMRcukAYW9Gy5zzElCtZ8neLW2n17_AxTnw8H4rqWo_O03QyQLVOqeX3A?key=suIPa4HPoah-nCtJhzHxELxU" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="warning" %}
Seeing "View not aligned with budgeting period" in the Budget Breakdown? [Learn why](https://support.lunchmoney.app/guides/faq#why-do-i-see-view-not-aligned-with-budgeting-period-in-the-budget-breakdown).
{% endhint %}

## Monthly Summary (Transactions Page)

Track your budget progress at a glance! The Monthly Summary on the Transactions page shows how much of your budget you've used with progress bars and percentages for each category.

<figure><img src="https://160037560-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M2W9WT63LQTW7JYT64B%2Fuploads%2FIrNhRC1DJvikLQtGps1u%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=5943de9b-a5b2-4727-824f-6242aded2e2a" alt="" width="309"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Green means you're under budget, red means you're over. The percentages show exactly how much you've spent compared to what you budgeted.

## You're all set! :tada:

You've mastered budgeting with Lunch Money! If you have any questions or would like to learn more, check out the links below. 👇

<a href="step-5-miscellaneous-features" class="button secondary" data-icon="arrow-right">Go to FAQs</a>

<a href="step-5-miscellaneous-features" class="button secondary" data-icon="arrow-right">Go to Reference/Glossary</a>