Create an Account

Accounts tell Common Cents where your money or debt lives. An account is required to use Common Cents, but it does not have to be a bank account. It can just be the money under your mattress although a bank account is probably a good idea.

Start with your main spending account #

For most people, the best first account is the checking account or cash account they use most often.

That gives you a simple place to start entering real transactions.

How to add an account #

You can add an account from places such as:

• the Combo Palette
• Add button actions in the app
• The dashboard and account pages if no accounts are currently set up

The fields that matter most #

When you create a basic account, focus on these first:

• Name so you can recognize it later
• Type so Common Cents treats it correctly
• Starting balance so your first numbers are not off from the start
• On budget so the app knows whether this account should affect category availability

For a first setup, those choices matter more than optional details like account number.

Choose the right account type #

The everyday starting point is a transaction account.

Depending on the features you have enabled, Common Cents can also support debt accounts and fixed asset accounts. Those types are useful, but they add more rules. If you are just getting started, use the simplest type that matches real life.

On-budget is a real decision #

On-budget accounts affect the money you can assign to categories.

If an account is off budget, it can still be tracked, but it will not feed the budget the same way. That choice is helpful when you are separating tracked balances from day-to-day budget money.

Primary account and dashboard behavior #

Transaction accounts can also affect dashboard summaries, and one transaction account can be marked as primary. Those settings are helpful, but they are not required to start. Get the account into the file first, then refine it later if needed.

A good first-account rule #

If you feel stuck, create one spending account with the correct current balance and move on. You can add savings, debt, and special-purpose accounts after the core workflow is working.

Next in Getting Started: Create a Category.