Read the timeline¶
The timeline puts your envelopes and upcoming needs on a calendar. Use it to see today's funding, follow future allocations, and find the point where cash may stop covering the plan.
Find your way around¶
Each envelope has a row. Dates run from left to right, with today highlighted. Select an envelope name, funded balance, or the space around them to open a menu with Spend from, Plan expense, Add Target, Edit Name, and Envelope Details. The funding control beside the name pauses or enables funding.
The amount by the envelope name is its current funded balance. Open today's details to see it labeled In envelope. Future cells describe projected activity, beginning tomorrow.
Scroll horizontally to inspect later dates. At the bottom of the screen, the Accounts pane gives access to account balances and entries. Use All accounts for the full account list; the link remains available when the pane is collapsed.
The Later column summarizes expense and target events off screen to the right. If it shows the funding-limit flag, select that flag to reveal the cutoff on the timeline.
Below the envelope rows, Add envelope creates another purpose and Move Funds changes current assignments. The chart icon beside them opens the Available funds forecast. Use My Account in the top bar to open Settings or sign out.
Read the markers¶
The legend beneath the timeline identifies the main symbols.
| Marker or label | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Projected funding | An allocation the forecast expects to make on that day. |
| Covered | The envelope needs no new allocation that day for its next planned date. |
| Round Expense marker | A specific expected payment. Select the marker to reconcile it. |
| Question mark on an expense | The expense is due today or overdue and still needs reconciliation. |
| Diamond Target marker | A remaining spending allowance through that date. |
| Available funds run out here flag | The next required funding step cannot be fully covered by remaining cash. |
A Covered segment applies to the next planned date. It does not promise that every later need in the envelope is covered.
With Show minimum spending floors enabled in Settings, the legend also includes Saving to minimum and Projected funding / purchase. Faded funding lines show saving toward a minimum; normal lines identify assumed purchase days. These are forecast events, not recorded transactions. See Minimum spending floors.
Inspect a day¶
Hover over a cell with activity using a mouse, or focus or select it, to inspect its details. Plain covered segments and empty cells do not open a popup. Where details are available, the popup can show:
- In envelope for today: the current ledger balance.
- Daily allocation for a future day: the amount projected into the envelope.
- Projected balance: the balance after that day's allocation and assumed spending.
- The day's expenses and targets, or a coverage or funding-limit explanation.
For touch use, tap the cell to select it. You can also open the envelope details page to inspect its expenses and targets directly.
An expense's round marker opens reconciliation. Its text or amount opens the plan editor. A target's marker or details opens the target editor.
Choose a useful sort order¶
Alphabetical orders envelopes by name and groups names that use the
Category - Bill format. Expand a group to inspect its individual envelopes.
Next Expense brings nearer needs toward the top. For targets, the order also considers how long the current envelope balance is estimated to cover the allowance. An underfunded target can therefore appear ahead of an expense with an earlier printed due date.
You can select both Alphabetical and Next Expense. Categories then stay alphabetical, with Next Expense order inside each category. At least one option stays selected. Change the default under My Account, Settings, Envelopes.
Select a category bar to collapse or expand its rows. A collapsed bar shows expense and target events for its funding-enabled envelopes. Optional Expenses, Targets, and Total amounts are controlled by Show category totals under Settings, Budget view.
Envelopes named with the Hidden category appear in a group at the bottom in every sort order. Expand it to find those envelopes. Hiding and collapsing only affect the display; enabled envelopes continue to receive funding and contribute to the projection. See Rename, group, or hide an envelope.
Sorting changes how you inspect the plan. It does not change the funding calculation's allocation order.
Today's money and tomorrow's projection¶
The projection is calculated from your recorded balances and remaining plans. It does not predict unrecorded income, purchases, or changes in bills.
For example, a $20 daily allocation is $20 projected into the envelope on that day, not $20 of new income or a bank transfer. On a plan's date, the projected balance includes the assumption that the planned amount is spent. Your actual account balance changes only through recorded account activity.
Nightly funding can turn funding needs into recorded envelope allocations. Check Latest moves on the envelope page to see actual activity, including automatic funding.
Read credit-card rows separately¶
The Credit card payments section shows cash ready for payment and the amount owed. These rows summarize current card coverage; they are not another set of spending envelopes. Select a card to inspect its payment breakdown.
Continue with Understand Left to plan.