Hello. I just started and am already so lost. I created my envelopes and synched to my bank accounts. I’ve confirmed transactions and assigned them to an envelopes. However, I never filled my envelopes using the “fill envelope” actions. And now, my available balance is in the negative, so are most of my envelopes. It seems as though I am missing a crucial step. I’ve watched the videos but can’t seem to figure it out. Do I need to wait until the 1st of the month to start the budget? Thank you!
Welcome!! It sounds like you may not have set a starting balance in your accounts before you entered transactions. That means it might have assumed you started at 0, when in fact you likely already had money to spend.
Not filling your envelopes is very similar; you’re pulling money out of “empty” envelopes with each transaction. Filling them lowers your available balance, but gets you started allocating funds where you need them.
You don’t HAVE to start on the 1st, but it’s sometimes a little trickier to start mid-month. You might want to take this as a “dress rehearsal”—it’s fine to get going, but I would probably get everything squared away on the 30th so that October will start cleanly.
I don’t use auto-import, but I’ve been using Goodbudget for many years. Feel free to keep coming back with questions and you’ll find lots of help here!
Thank you for your quick response. Looks like the Oct. 1 plan is my best bet!