Create a Transaction

Transactions record what actually happened. Once you have an account and at least one category, adding a transaction is the step that turns your setup into a working budget.

Where to add a transaction #

You can start a new transaction from places such as:

• The Combo Palette
• Add Button actions
• Transaction-focused account screens

The core fields you will use most #

For a normal everyday transaction, focus on these fields:

• Account
• Payee
• Date
• Amount
• Category
• Note if you need extra context

You can also create a payee while you are entering the transaction, so you do not have to stop and set that up separately.

Income and spending both start here #

The same main form handles normal income and spending entries. What changes is how the amount and category details are treated.

That means your paycheck, grocery trip, and utility bill can all start from the same basic transaction flow.

Use splits when one purchase belongs to more than one category #

If a single real-world transaction needs to be divided across multiple categories, use splits instead of forcing everything into one category.

That keeps your category activity accurate later.

Transfers are not the same as spending #

If money is moving from one account to another account you already track, do not record that as ordinary spending.

Use the transfer-specific workflow instead. Common Cents treats transfers as paired entries so your balances stay aligned without double-counting the money.

The same idea applies to some debt-payment workflows, which use more specialized forms.

Use Strict Mode to protect against overspending categories #

It is recommended that you enable Strict Mode in Settings > Features > Budget. If enabled, Common Cents will ask you to transfer money to cover overspending in a category rather than allow it to go negative.

Go ahead and enter a transaction. #

If you don’t have any transactions to enter, go ahead and enter a test transaction, verify that it did what you expected and then use the Undo button to reverse it.

And that’s (mostly) all there is to it #

Once you know these basics you are off to the races. Keep assigning money to categories as income arrives and adding transactions as they come through your bank account. Make a habit of updating your budget and transactions every few days to make sure it stays up to date.

Once you are comfortable with this workflow, dive into the other features that Common Cents offers to manage more aspects of your money.