Methods
Zero-based budget (manual tracking)
Assign every dollar a job each month.
Assign every dollar a job each month.
Not financial advice
This explains a popular framework and how to approximate it with manual categories, wallets, and budgets in Expense Trail—not personalized advice.
The method (brief)
Income minus assigned budgets/goals should equal zero on paper each month.
Map to Expense Trail
Use income categories plus budgets and goals so every dollar is allocated before spending.
Log expected income as scheduled entry or template.
Create budgets for every spending category.
Add goals for savings lines.
Adjust caps until planned assign = income.