Recommended first-month setup
- Start with the main checking account.
- Enter today’s balance.
- Add the next two paychecks.
- Add fixed bills due before the second paycheck.
- Add subscriptions and debt minimums.
- Add planned weekly spending, such as groceries or gas.
- Review the lowest projected balance.
Example
| Date | Item | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Main checking balance | Starting point | Forecast begins here |
| Friday | Paycheck | Income | Balance increases |
| 1st | Rent | Expense | Balance decreases |
| 5th | Car insurance | Expense | Balance decreases |
| 12th | Groceries | Expense | Balance decreases |
How to interpret the result
The projected finish is helpful, but the lowest future balance is usually more important. A month can end positive and still have a dangerous low point before payday.Improve the forecast
- Turn paychecks and fixed bills into recurring transactions.
- Move flexible expenses away from the low-balance window.
- Add known annual bills as future-dated expenses or monthly set-asides.
- Use categories to make the month easier to scan.
- Use bookmarks for common one-off entries.
When the forecast looks wrong
Check these first:- The starting balance is current.
- Income is marked as income, not expense.
- Expenses are positive amounts but categorized as expense.
- Recurring rules are not duplicating the same bill.
- Transactions are assigned to the correct account.
CalBudget stores expenses as positive amounts and uses the category/type to decide whether the transaction decreases or increases the forecast.