18. Guides

Plan and Assign Money to Categories

Use Assign Mode for money you have and Planning Mode for scheduled inflows, then apply the parts of the plan that actual funding supports.

Use this guide when you are deciding which category amounts should be assigned now and which should remain a forecast.

1. Open the right month #

The Budget month changes the meaning of the grid. Current months support live assignments; future months are for forecasting. Past months are locked by default, although you can unlock the immediately previous month to make a correction. Start by selecting the month you actually intend to fund or plan.

2. Choose the right mode #

In Assign Mode, Ready to Assign is money that is actually available. Edit Assigned to give it jobs now.
In Planning Mode, Ready to Plan comes from pending scheduled inflows. Edit Planned Assigned to prepare future category funding.

Do not use Planning Mode as a second way to assign cash. It is a forecast that stays separate until you apply it.

3. Assign actual money #

For money already available, stay in Assign Mode and enter Assigned amounts on category rows. Use Quick Assign in the contextual sidebar when Targets are enabled and you want to fill target needs from Ready to Assign.

Use Activity to understand what happened in a category and Available to understand what it can still cover before making a reallocation.

4. Plan from scheduled inflows #

For money that is expected later, switch to Planning Mode. Make sure pending scheduled inflows exist for the month, then enter Planned Assigned amounts up to Ready to Plan.

When Targets are enabled, Quick Plan can fill planned amounts from target needs. If Ready to Plan is too small, adjust the scheduled inflows or plan less; do not treat the shortfall as actual money.

5. Review and apply intentionally #

Once actual funding is available, select Review & Apply in Planning Mode. The review sheet shows what can move into Assigned. Apply the categories you are ready to fund and leave the rest planned.

Applying increases Assigned and reduces the same category’s planned add-on, so you do not need to duplicate your work manually.

6. Check your result #

Before moving on, confirm that Available, Assigned, and any remaining Planned Assigned amounts tell the story you expect. Use filters to find overspent, underfunded, or overfunded categories that still need attention.