Getting started with CalBudget

CalBudget is a calendar-first budget app. Instead of starting with category limits, you place money events on the exact dates they happen: paychecks, bills, subscriptions, debt payments, and planned spending.

What to set up first

1. Add the account you want to forecast.
2. Enter the account's current balance.
3. Add your next paycheck or income date.
4. Add the bills and subscriptions you already know are coming.
5. Add planned spending that could change your balance before payday.

How to know it is working

The calendar updates each day with a projected running balance. If a future date drops too low, adjust spending, move a bill, or add a buffer before that date arrives.

Best first forecast

Start with one checking account and the next 30 days. A short forecast is easier to trust. After that, add recurring bills and paychecks so future months fill in automatically.

Before you enter everything

CalBudget is easiest to trust when the first version is small and accurate. Do not try to rebuild years of bank history on day one. Build the forecast you need for the next paycheck cycle, then add more detail after the calendar balance starts matching real life.

Recommended setup order

1. Open Settings and confirm your name, email, theme, and preferred display options.
2. Add one main checking account first. Use the balance you expect to plan from, not a pending bank balance you do not trust.
3. Add income for the next one or two pay periods.
4. Add fixed bills such as rent, utilities, insurance, subscriptions, debt payments, and transfers.
5. Add flexible spending you already know about, like groceries, gas, school costs, or travel.
6. Review the lowest projected balance before the next payday.
7. Turn repeat bills and income into recurring transactions after the first month looks right.

What a good first month looks like

A good first month does not need every coffee or every bank fee. It needs enough known activity to answer one question: will the balance stay safe until more money arrives?

If the calendar shows a future low point, do not treat it as a failure. That is the point of CalBudget. You found the problem early enough to move something, delay spending, add a buffer, or adjust a recurring bill.

Common setup mistakes

• Adding old transactions that no longer affect the future forecast.
• Entering expenses as negative numbers when the form expects the expense amount.
• Creating several accounts before the main checking forecast is reliable.
• Making every item recurring before confirming the first occurrence is correct.
• Ignoring a low balance warning because the current balance still looks fine today.

Final setup checklist

• The main account balance matches the number you want to plan from.
• The next income date is on the calendar.
• The largest bills are entered before their due dates.
• Normal spending is represented enough to show the next low point.
• Recurring series are only created for items you trust to repeat.

If the first forecast feels wrong

Start by checking dates, not categories. A bill on the wrong day can make the whole month look off. Then check whether income is missing, whether an expense was entered twice, and whether your starting balance needs to be updated.