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Master local-first budgeting. BudgetNote is designed to be rigorous, private, and offline. This guide covers everything from your first entry to advanced transfers.
Getting Started
BudgetNote is not a passive tracker. It does not connect to your bank, and it does not sell your data. It is a tool for intentional financial journaling.
Installation & Setup
BudgetNote runs locally on macOS, Windows, and Linux. When you first launch the app, it will create a generic vault structure in your Documents folder.
This folder is your database. You can sync it across devices using iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Syncthing. BudgetNote simply reads whatever folder you point it to.
The Dashboard
The dashboard is your daily driver. It provides a chronological view of your spending, grouped by month.
Month Cards
Toggle between months to see historical data instantly.
Quick Entry
Use Cmd+E to add transactions without touching the mouse.
Core Concepts
Income vs. Expense
Many apps blend income and expense into a single "Net" number. BudgetNote keeps them strictly separate to help you understand your Cash Flow.
- Income (+): Paychecks, Dividends, Sold Items. Increases your "Inflow".
- Expense (-): Rent, Food, Travel. Increases your "Outflow".
Tags & Categorization
Transactions are organized by Tags. You can have unlimited tags.
Best Practices
Don't create ephemeral tags like #TripToVegas2024. Instead, use a generic #Travel or #Vacation tag and use the Note field for specifics.
Insights & Notes
Mindfulness over Mathematics
Adding a note isn't just metadata—it's mindfulness. By writing why you spent money ("Stressed from work", "Celebratory dinner"), you spot behavioral patterns that numbers alone can't show.
Entry Notes
Add context to specific transactions. These appear in the Insights Calendar, helping you map your mood to your spending. Search for "coffee" to see every time you noted it.
Month Notes
A dedicated scratchpad for the month. Use this to summarize life events ("Moved apartments", "Got a raise") that explain why the month's graph looks anomalous.
Budget & Goals
Budgeting in BudgetNote is about Limits (capping downside) and Goals (planning upside).
Spending Limits
Set monthly hard caps on risky categories. The bar turns red as you approach the limit.
- Resets automatically on the 1st
- Applies to specific Tags (e.g. #Dining)
- Visual warning at 80% usage
- Free: 3 Active Limits / Pro: Unlimited
Savings Goals
Track progress towards big purchases. "Pay yourself first" by logging transfers to savings.
- Link income or transfers triggers
- Projected completion dates
- Confetti on completion
- Free: 1 Active Goal / Pro: Unlimited
Transfers Logic
Double-counting destroys analytics. The "Transfer" flag is your tool to tell BudgetNote: "This isn't spending, it's just moving money."
Credit Cards
When you buy dinner, that's spending (-$50). When you pay the Visa bill later, that is a Transfer, not a second expense.
Savings
Moving $500 from Checking to Savings is not 'spending' money. It's a Transfer. Your Net Worth remains the same.
Reimbursements
Bought lunch for a friend? Tag it #Reimbursable. When they Venmo you back, mark the inflow as a Transfer or Income.
When adding an entry, toggle the "Transfer" switch (or duplicate arrow icon) to exclude it from your Spending Graphs. It will still appear in your transaction history but won't skew your monthly burn rate.
Analytics & Pro
BudgetNote forces all analytics to run on-device. We calculate trends, averages, and predictions using your local JSON files.
Pro Advanced Suite
Visualize your financial consistency with a GitHub-style heatmap. See every day you spent money (Activity), how much you spent (Volume), or how much you saved (Savings).Includes "Streak Pills" to gamify your Zero-Spend days.
One click to generate a beautiful, printable HTML/PDF report of your month. ideal for archiving or sharing with a partner/accountant.
Pro Workflow
Instantly opens a draft row. Type amount, tab to source, tab to tags. Hit Enter.
Universal search. Find transactions, tags, or settings instantly.
One-keypress filling. Map your most frequent purchases (e.g. 'Coffee', 'Groceries') to number keys.
Cheat Sheet
Data Sovereignty
Your Data is Yours
BudgetNote follows a Strictly Local philosophy. We literally cannot see your data. There is no analytics SDK tracking your transactions.
Go to Settings → Data to backup manually. This creates timestamped JSON/CSV snapshots in `BudgetNoteVault/structured/`.
Moving computers? Simply copy the entire `BudgetNoteVault` folder to your new machine via USB or Cloud Drive.
FAQ
Data & Privacy
Where is my data stored?
100% locally on your device in a JSON file. We never see, store, or sell your financial data.
Do you have access to my financial data?
No. BudgetNote is designed with a "Local First" architecture. Your data never leaves your computer.
Is my data encrypted?
Your vault file is stored as plain JSON for maximum portability. You can encrypt it yourself using macOS FileVault or third-party tools.
What happens to my data if the app shuts down?
Your data is yours forever. It's a simple JSON file on your disk that you can open with any text editor or import into other tools.
Licensing & Pricing
Is BudgetNote free?
Yes. The Core functionality (Tracking, Standard Graphs, Unlimited Tags, Basic Limits) is free forever. We charge a one-time fee for Pro features like the Heatmap, Reports, and Unlimited Limits.
Is this a subscription?
No. BudgetNote Pro is a one-time payment for a lifetime license. No monthly fees, ever.
Can I use it on multiple Macs?
Yes. Your license is personal to you. You can use it on any Mac you own.
What is the refund policy?
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Just email us for a full refund.
Do I get future updates?
Yes. Your Pro license includes all future updates and new features for life.
Features & Limits
What are the limits on the Free version?
Free users can create up to 3 spending limits, 1 savings goal, 3 templates, 10 tags, and 4 payment methods.
What is a 'Transfer' and why use it?
A transfer marks money movement between your own accounts (e.g., Checking -> Savings). It keeps your spending analytics accurate by excluding internal moves.
What are Tags for?
Tags let you categorize transactions for filtering and reporting. Think of them as custom labels like 'Vacation', 'Work Expense', or 'Gift'.
Are templates limited?
Free: 3 saved templates. Pro: Unlimited. Templates let you quickly log recurring transactions like subscriptions.
Sync & Compatibility
Is there a mobile app?
Not yet. A companion mobile app for quick capture is on our roadmap.
Can I sync between my Mac and PC?
Yes, but you control it. Place your `BudgetNoteVault` folder in a synced location like Dropbox, iCloud Drive, or Google Drive. Point BudgetNote on both computers to that synced folder.
Does it work offline?
Absolutely. BudgetNote is 100% offline-first. No internet connection is ever required.
Can I import data from Mint or YNAB?
Currently, BudgetNote focuses on manual entry to build better habits. However, a CSV importer is in Beta for Pro users.
What operating systems are supported?
Currently macOS, Windows, and Linux (.AppImage).
General
How do I contact support?
Email us at [email protected]. We typically respond within 24 hours.
Is the app open source?
The core app is not open source, but we embrace an open philosophy: your data is always accessible and portable.