Getting started
How to start budgeting with Budgey
From download to a working budget in about ten minutes — no spreadsheet, no method to study, no credit card.
6 min read · Updated July 2026 · All guides
Most budgeting apps hand you a philosophy before they hand you a budget. Budgey starts from one number instead: what you have left this pay period. Tell it what you spend money on and when you get paid, and it does the rest.
This guide walks you through your first ten minutes — creating an account, letting BaoBot build your budget with you, and logging your first expense — plus what to do in your first week so the habit actually sticks.
Before you start: how Budgey thinks
Budgey budgets by pay period, not calendar month. If you are paid weekly or biweekly, your categories reset when your money actually arrives — so "what you have left" always refers to the paycheck you are living on right now, not an abstract month.
You will split your spending into categories (Groceries, Gas, Fun Money, and so on), give each one an amount per period, and log what you spend. Budgey keeps the math live: every category shows what is left, and the top of your budget shows what is left overall.
Set up your first budget
- 1
Create your free account
Go to budgeyapp.com and choose "Start with Web", or download Budgey from the App Store or Google Play. Sign in with Google, Apple, or an email magic link — no credit card, no trial clock. The free plan is a real budget that never expires.
- 2
Tell BaoBot how you get paid
BaoBot, Budgey's AI assistant, walks you through setup in plain English. Pick your pay schedule — weekly, biweekly, twice a month, or monthly — and roughly how much lands each payday. Your budget periods will follow your actual paychecks from day one.
- 3
Pick your starter categories
BaoBot suggests a starter set of spending categories and helps you set an amount for each. Start smaller than you think — around eight categories covers most lives. You can rename, recolor, and rebalance them any time.
- 4
Log your first transaction
Add today's coffee or grocery run: tap a category, enter the amount, done. Or snap a photo of a receipt and let BaoBot read the store, total, and date for you. Watching a category tick down is the moment budgeting clicks.
- 5
Set one goal
Create a savings goal (an emergency fund is the classic first one) or a debt payoff goal with its interest rate. Pin it so it stays on your budget screen, and log contributions as you make them — Budgey tracks your streak.
- 6
Turn on the reminders you want
In settings, choose your notifications: a daily logging nudge, a heads-up when a period is about to end, goal progress, or a weekly summary. One well-chosen reminder does more for a budget than any feature.
Your first week: three habits that matter
- ✓Log spending the same day it happens — from your phone, it takes about five seconds. A budget that is a day behind is a budget you stop trusting.
- ✓Check "Remaining this period" before any non-routine purchase. That one glance is the entire method.
- ✓When a category runs dry, move money into it from another category instead of giving up. A budget you adjust is working; a budget you abandon is not.
What the free plan includes (honestly)
The free plan gives you one budget with up to 8 categories, 20 transactions a month, one active goal, 50 lifetime BaoBot messages, and 2 AI receipt scans — enough to genuinely budget, forever, on iOS, Android, and Web with everything in sync.
Budgey Unlimited ($10/month or $100/year — two months free) removes every limit and adds bank sync with a review inbox, unlimited BaoBot and receipt scanning, carry-over balances, reports and AI insights, shared budgets, and themes. Most people start free and upgrade when they want bank sync or unlimited AI.
Your questions
Is Budgey free to use?+
Yes. The free plan is free forever on iOS, Android, and Web — one budget, up to 8 categories, 20 transactions a month, one active goal, and a taste of BaoBot. No credit card and no trial countdown. Budgey Unlimited ($10/month or $100/year) removes the limits and adds bank sync, unlimited AI, shared budgets, and more.
How long does it take to set up a budget in Budgey?+
About ten minutes. BaoBot builds the budget with you: pick a pay schedule, confirm your paycheck amount, accept or tweak a starter set of categories, and you have a working budget. Refining the numbers happens naturally over your first couple of periods.
Do I need to connect my bank account to use Budgey?+
No. Budgey works fully with manual entry and receipt scanning — many people prefer the awareness that comes from logging by hand. Bank sync (up to 3 banks or cards via Plaid) is an optional Budgey Unlimited feature, and even then imported transactions wait in a Review Inbox until you approve them.
What categories should a beginner start with?+
Start with roughly eight: Groceries, Dining Out, Gas or Transit, Rent or Housing, Utilities, Fun Money, Personal Care, and Savings. Fewer, broader categories are easier to keep up with; you can always split them later once you know where your money actually goes.
Does Budgey work on both my phone and my computer?+
Yes — Budgey runs on iOS, Android, and the web at budgeyapp.com, and it is one budget that syncs everywhere instantly. Log a coffee from your phone in the checkout line, then review your period on the big screen at your desk.
Put it into practice
Budgey is free on iOS, Android, and Web — no credit card, no trial clock. BaoBot will build your first budget with you.
No credit card required · Free plan forever · One budget on every device
Budgey
Budgeting for all
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