Budgeting in Forbidden Finance

Overview

Forbidden Finance gives you 8 distinct budgeting methods so you can manage your money the way that works best for you. Whether you prefer the simplicity of saving a fixed amount and spending the rest, or the precision of allocating every dollar to a category, there is a method that fits your style. You can only have one budget active at a time, but you can switch methods whenever your needs change without losing your history.

Every budget in Forbidden Finance runs on a monthly cycle. You set your income, choose how to allocate it, and then track your spending against those allocations throughout the month. At the end of the month, you can review how you did and start the next month with a fresh plan or let unspent amounts roll forward.

Available Methods

How to Create Your First Budget

Key Features

• Month navigator — Swipe left or right to view past or future months. Compare your plan to actual spending across months.
• Category allocation — Assign your spending categories (Groceries, Rent, Entertainment, etc.) to budget groups so transactions are automatically sorted.
• Inter-category transfer — Move unspent money from one category to another mid-month when plans change.
• Group cards — Each budget group is its own card showing spent vs. allocated with a progress bar. Expand a card to see every category inside it, each with its own amounts and slim progress bar, or collapse the cards you check less often. The app remembers which cards you keep collapsed.
• Rearrange everything — Tap the pencil icon above your groups, then drag cards into the order you want using the handle in each card's header. You can also drag categories within a card to reorder them. Your arrangement is saved to your account.
• Allocated vs. Spent chart — A compact chart ranks your groups by how much of each allocation you have used, so the groups closest to their limit (or over it) surface first.
• Rollover management — Configure whether underspending carries forward to the next month or resets.
• Dashboard widget — Your active budget summary appears on the home dashboard so you can check your status at a glance.

Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than one budget active at the same time?

No. Forbidden Finance supports one active budget at a time to keep your finances clear and focused. You can switch methods whenever you like.

Do I lose my data if I switch budget methods?

No. Your previous budget and all its history are preserved. You can view past budgets from the budget history screen.

Can I edit my budget after activating it?

Yes. You can adjust allocations, add or remove categories, and change group amounts at any point during the month. For methods where you define your own groups (Zero-Based, Envelope, Values-Based, and Custom), you can also rename your groups from the same edit screen.

How does the budget wizard know my categories?

If you have existing transactions, the wizard suggests categories based on your spending history. You can always add, rename, or remove categories during setup.

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