Budget :: Getting Started

Budget Help

Key Concepts
Getting Started
- Get Started Using Budget
- Adding Credit Cards
- Entering Data
- Entering Data for Transactions
- Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts
Work with Accounts
Work with Envelopes
Work with Income
Record Transactions
Work with Transactions
Calendar
Investments
Calculators
Import/Export/Sync
Reports/Statistics
Preferences

Note: If you have used personal finance programs that are based on the register model then Budget may seem unintuitive and difficult to use. We suggest that you read the sections The Envelope Model and Check Register first. This is the best way to understand how Budget works. If you are familiar with the envelope model that Budget uses please continue below.

Getting Started With Budget

There are two ways to get started using Budget, the Setup Assistant or the manual method.

The Setup Assistant will guide you through the steps to set up your budget, and will streamline the effort it takes to create accounts and envelopes and set up your budget file. If you are converting from a different financial program you can import your data directly in the Setup Assistant. You can add, remove, or modify anything you do in the assistant later using the normal program features.

If you'd rather use the manual method of getting started, click the CANCEL button to close the setup assistant window. Using the manual method to get started may give you a better understanding of how the program works since you will be using the normal Budget features and windows.

Remember to Save your data when your done.

Importing Financial Data

Budget has the capability to import Quicken Interchange Format (QIF) and Open Financial Exchance (OFX) files. This capability provides a means to access data from other financial programs or to access data from financial institutions that have a QIF or OFX export capability. For more information, see the Import File section.

For freeware Budget users

Budget for Mac OS X can read existing Budget data files that were created using the freeware versions available for classic Mac OS (7.x - 9.x). Simply use the File > Open... menu command and navigate to your existing Budget data file. The new Budget program does NOT write to existing freeware data files; therefore, you will be required to save the file under a new name.

Registering Budget: When you purchase Budget you will receive a registration name and code. This information must be entered into the program in order to enable additional features and stop the nag screens from appearing. See the Registration section for more information.