Your first budget, step by step.

Before you start

Start your free 60-day trial, register with your email and password, and follow the email-verification instructions. Complete the account-security choice, then choose Continue to your budget.

The example assumes a fresh personal budget in the current month, no other accounts or entries, and USD amounts. Your starter envelopes already include Groceries. You don't need to set a target or create more envelopes first.

Example only: you have $500 in Checking today, set aside $50 for groceries, then spend $10 from Checking. For your real budget, use your actual balance and purchases. Don't enter a practice purchase as if it really happened.

1. Add your $500 checking balance

1. Choose Add account in the setup guidance or account navigation.
2. Enter Checking in Name.
3. For Account type, select Cash / Checking / Savings.
4. Keep Budget treatment set to On budget — include in Left to Budget. A tracking-only account doesn't fund envelopes.
5. Enter 500.00 in Starting balance (USD), then choose Save.

Check: Checking is $500 and Left to Budget is $500. Adding the account hasn't assigned money to any envelope.

The starting balance is money you already have, not a new income transaction. Record purchases after that starting point; don't re-enter purchases already reflected in the opening balance.

2. Assign $50 to Groceries

1. In My envelopes, choose Assign money in the setup guidance. You can also choose the amount in the Assigned column on the Groceries row.
2. Check that you are assigning to Groceries in the current month.
3. Enter 50.00 in Total assigned this month (USD).
4. Review the change, then choose Save.

Check: Groceries has $50 assigned and $50 available. Left to Budget is $450. Checking is still $500: assigning money changes its purpose, not where it is held.

The assignment field replaces the monthly total. If you later want to add another $20 to this $50 assignment, enter 70.00, not 20.00. Keep the total at $50 for the next step in this example.

3. Record a $10 grocery purchase from Checking

1. Choose Add transaction.
2. Set Type to Expense.
3. Enter Corner market in Payee or source.
4. Set Date to the purchase date in the current budget month.
5. Choose Checking under Account. This example is a cash-account purchase, including a debit-card purchase from Checking, not a credit-card charge.
6. Choose Groceries under Envelope. Check the selection rather than accepting an unrelated default.
7. Enter 10.00 in Amount (USD), then choose Save.

You enter an expense as a positive amount; Nifty subtracts it. You can review the entry in Transactions. Mark Cleared when it appears at your bank.

Three numbers, three different jobs

Checking: $490

$500 starting balance − $10 purchase. This is where your money is.

Groceries available: $40

$50 assigned − $10 spent. This is what remains for groceries.

Left to Budget: $450

$500 − $50 assigned. This money still needs a job. The purchase used money already assigned, so it doesn't reduce Left to Budget again.

The Groceries row still shows $50 Assigned, with −$10 Activity and $40 Available. Together, $40 in Groceries and $450 unassigned equal the $490 still in Checking.

If your result differs, check the account's budget treatment, selected month, envelope, amount, and any duplicate entries. Use the transaction's Edit action to correct a mistake.

Make it a useful routine

Assign the rest of your available money to your real bills, spending, and savings. Record new income and purchases, compare your entries with your accounts, and review what's available before spending. Unspent envelope money carries forward.

A target is optional planning help, not money. Setting a $100 target alone moves no money; you still need to assign available cash, or review an autofill allocation.

Cash-account overspending: cover a negative envelope with available money from Left to Budget or another envelope. Adjust assignments to reflect that tradeoff. Credit-card overspending is different: use Resolve → Cover overspending or Carry as debt instead of simply increasing the assignment.

Before adding a credit card, read the credit-card walkthrough. Purchase refunds to credit cards are not supported yet.

Need help? Contact Nifty support or read the envelope budgeting basics.