Budgeting
Why budgeting matters, how to set spending caps, and how to track them.
A budget tells your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. In Simplony, budgeting means setting a monthly cap on categories and watching your progress.
Why budget?
Without a budget, it's easy to overspend on small things without realizing it. A budget gives you:
- Awareness — see exactly how much you've spent vs. how much you planned.
- Control — catch overspending early, not at the end of the month.
- Confidence — know that the money left is truly available.
How it works
The Budget page has two modes:
Plan mode — set monthly caps for expense categories and optional income targets. For example: "Dining Out: 200", "Groceries: 400", "Transport: 100".
Track mode — see how actual spending compares to your caps. Each category shows a progress bar that turns yellow when you're getting close and red when you've exceeded the cap.
Setting up your budget
- Go to the Budget page and switch to Plan mode.
- Assign a cap to the categories you want to track. Start with your top 3-5 biggest categories.
- Optionally set income targets for categories like Salary or Freelance.
- Switch to Track mode to see your progress.
Tips
- Use round numbers. "200 for dining out" is easier to remember than "187.50".
- Check in weekly. A quick glance at the budget page on Sunday keeps you on track.
- Ask the AI. "What's my budget status?" gives you an instant summary without opening the page.