Hold money for next month

Set part of To Budget aside so it cannot be assigned this month, and returns in full next month.

A hold takes money out of this month’s To Budget and gives it back at the start of the next one.

It is for the case where money has arrived early and you would rather not be able to spend it yet: a paycheque that lands on the 30th and is meant for next month’s rent, for instance.

This is available in envelope mode.

Steps

To hold money for next month, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Budget tab and move to the month holding the money.
  2. Tap Hold for next month in the header.
  3. Enter an amount, or tap All to hold everything currently unassigned.
  4. Tap Save.

To Budget falls by the amount held, and the header shows Held for next month with an Edit control.

To release a hold, open it again and set it to None.

What a hold actually changes

Exactly one month, and only that month.

The amount is subtracted from the month you set it in and added back to the next one, so every month after that is identical to what it would have been with no hold at all. A hold delays money; it never removes it.

That also means a hold set in a past month has already returned, and has no effect on today’s numbers.

Tip

A hold is not the only way to park money. Assigning it to a savings envelope keeps it out of reach too, and leaves a record of what it is for. Use a hold when the money genuinely has no job yet and you want it out of this month’s arithmetic.

Next steps