Carry overspending in a category
Make a category keep its own negative balance instead of charging the overspend to next month's To Budget.
By default an overspent envelope resets to zero next month and the amount you went over is deducted from next month’s To Budget. Turning on Carries debt changes that for one category: the negative balance stays on the envelope until you pay it back.
This is available in envelope mode.
Before you begin
- The category you want to change.
Steps
To make a category carry its overspending, follow these steps:
- Open the Budget tab and tap Edit Categories.
- Tap the category.
- Turn on Carries debt.
- Tap Done.
The change applies from the next month onward. This month’s numbers do not move.
Which behaviour to pick
| Behaviour | What next month looks like | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Default | Envelope resets to zero, To Budget absorbs the overspend | Everyday categories where an overspend is really a decision about the whole budget |
| Carries debt | Envelope stays negative, To Budget is untouched | A category you want to hold accountable to itself |
Carrying debt suits categories with their own logic: a credit card you are paying down, a shared expense you settle with someone, a project with a fixed total. For groceries it usually creates a debt that shadows you for months without changing any decision you would make.
A worked example
Food is budgeted 500 in January and 100 in February, and you spend 300 in January and 400 in February.
| Month | Budgeted | Activity | Available, default | Available, carries debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 500 | Spent 300 | 200 | 200 |
| February | 100 | Spent 400 | Negative 100 | Negative 100 |
| March | 0 | None | 0, and March’s To Budget is 100 lower | Negative 100, and To Budget is untouched |
The overspend is the same either way. What changes is who pays for it in March: the budget as a whole, or this envelope.
Next steps
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