📘 Guides

How to do things in Spense.

Short, screenshot-led walkthroughs. No theory, no story — open the app, follow along, done.

New here? Start with these three

about 6 minutes total

1Set up your first budgetThe setup questions, the starter categories, and your first limit5 steps · 3 min 2Connect a bank accountAnd what to expect in the first few minutes4 steps · 2 min 3Fix a category Spense got wrongTeach it once — it remembers that merchant3 steps · 1 min

🌱

Getting started

Your first week

5 stepsSet up your first budgetThe setup questions, the starter categories, and your first limit3 min 3 stepsImport your YNAB dataYour categories and history, moved in one file5 min 3 stepsLock Spense with Face ID or your passcodeSo nobody who picks up your phone sees your budget1 min 3 stepsBack up your guest accountTie your budget to Apple, Google or an email before you change phones1 min

🏦

Accounts & syncing

Banks, cards, manual accounts

4 stepsConnect a bank accountAnd what to expect in the first few minutes2 min 3 stepsAdd an account you track by handCash, a credit union, anything Plaid won't reach2 min 5 stepsSet up a credit card the right wayStarting balance, payments, and why transfers aren't spending4 min

✉️

Budgeting

Auto, Classic, and the monthly rhythm

4 stepsChoose between Auto and ClassicPick your budget mode in setup, change your mind before it ends, or ask support after2 min 5 stepsSet a target on a categoryTell Spense what each category needs, then fund it in one tap3 min 4 stepsMove money between categoriesCover an overspent category, or fund every target in one tap2 min 5 stepsAdd, rename, reorder or delete categoriesShape the Budget tab around your life, without losing a transaction3 min 4 stepsAsk Spense about your moneyQuestions about your spending, budget and goals, answered from your own data2 min 3 stepsKeep your daily streak goingWhat the sheet on your first open each day shows, and how the streak counts1 min

🎯

Goals

Saving for something specific

3 stepsCreate a savings goalName it, size it, and tell Spense where you stand2 min 3 stepsPut money toward a goalRecord progress — Spense keeps the pace math honest1 min

🧾

Transactions & categories

Keeping the ledger honest

3 stepsFix a category Spense got wrongTeach it once — it remembers that merchant1 min 3 stepsFind a transactionSearch, filter, and reach the ones older than two months2 min 5 stepsReview your transactions in Classic ModeOne card at a time: approve, fix, skip or reject3 min

💳

Trial & billing

Plans, payment, cancelling

2 stepsSee how much trial you have left14 days, no card, no countdown ambush1 min 3 stepsCancel or change your planIncluding how to take your data with you3 min 3 stepsDelete your Spense account and dataWhat it erases, what it can’t stop, and where the button is2 min

More guides land here every week. Missing the one you need? Tell us and we'll write it.

Wondering why, not just how?

The blog covers the thinking — envelope budgeting, honest app comparisons, and how other people actually use this.