Spend 2.0 FAQ
Spend 2.1 is available as of May 29, 2009, and owners of previous versions should be alerted of the update soon! If you have a question not answered here, contact us!
For help getting your budgets set up, see the Intro Guide and our new Tutorial videos!.
Join our new Support Forums to get help and discuss the app with other users!
For help getting your budgets set up, see the Intro Guide and our new Tutorial videos!.
Join our new Support Forums to get help and discuss the app with other users!
Password
Budgets
Why can't I log in with my password after updating to 2.0?
Note that the number buttons on the login screen are in a different order than they were in previous versions (now they match the regular calculator style number pad, rather than the phone number style as before). Make sure that you are entering the correct PIN number. If you still can't login, contact us.
How do I add a new budget?
Click the + on the Active Budgets (or any other group) screen and enter the budget's information. Press the Save button and you've got a new budget.
How do I delete a budget?
There are two ways to delete a budget. On the Active Budgets list, you can tap the edit button and then tap the delete icon to the left of the budget's name, and finally tap the delete button that appears. Alternatively, from any group's budget list, swipe your finger across the budget's row and the delete button will appear. Tap the delete button and you will be asked whether you want to delete the budget or just remove it from the group.
How do I edit a budget's settings?
Tap on the budget's balance arrow on the right side of its row while viewing any group. On the following screen, tap the gears icon on the left end of the bottom toolbar. This will display a window similar to the one that you used to create the budget, where you can edit its settings. Beware that changes to the start date or frequency will not have an effect until the next scheduled cycle based on these new settings.
How do I change the order that budgets are displayed in the Active Budgets list?
Budgets can be displayed in alphabetical order or in a custom order (only in the Active Budgets list). To change the order, tap the Edit button on the Active Budgets screen and then select Alphabetical or Custom from the top bar. If you select Custom, you can tap and hold on the right edge of each row and then drag it to a new position to rearrange your budgets. If you switch to alphabetical and then back to custom, your previous custom order will be remembered.
How do I change the order that budgets are displayed in my custom group?
Budgets can only be displayed in alphabetical order in custom groups. See the previous question for more info.
Why are some balances displayed in orange or red?
If you are viewing available balances, the balance will be displayed in orange if less than 50 percent of your budgeted amount for the current cycle is remaining, or in red if they have a 0 or negative balance. If you are viewing spent balances, the balance will be displayed in orange if you have spent more than 50 percent of your budgeted amount during the current cycle, or red if you have spent over the budget. Note that in the spent case if you have balance rollover turned on, you might still have abundant funds remaining in your budget even though the spent balance is orange or red; the app is just trying to tell you that you are spending more than you have generally planned to that cycle.
How do I change what day of the month a monthly budget starts on?
The start date of a budget determines exactly when it cycles. So if you want a budget that cycles on the 10th of every month, set it's start date to the 10th of the month. Keep in mind that setting a start date in the future means that the budget will be inactive until that date arrives.
How do I change what day of the week a weekly budget starts on?
The start date of a budget determines exactly when it cycles. So if you want a budget that cycles every Wednesday, set its start date to a date that falls on Wednesday. Keep in mind that setting a start date in the future means that the budget will be inactive until that date arrives.
Can I use other currencies besides the U.S. dollar?
Yes, the app will use whatever currency is appropriate based on your iPhone/iPod's international settings. Only one currency can be used at a time, and changing your settings will not convert the actual currency values.
How do you view items entered during previous budget cycles?
While viewing any group's budget list, tap the balance arrow on the right of the budget's row. On the following screen, tap the clock icon (2nd from the left) on the bottom toolbar. This will bring up your cycle history view for the budget. Tapping on any cycle will give you a list of items for that cycle.
How is the Total Budgeted value that is displayed on a group's budget list calculated?
The Total Budgeted value is the sum of the available balances in all of the budgets in that group at the beginning of their respective current cycles. This means that the Total Available value is equal to the Total Budgeted minus the Total Spent.
What happens if I reset a budget?
All items in the budget will be deleted (including recurring items) and the budget will restart on whatever the start date is set to using its current settings.
How can I make a budget inactive?
For a budget to be inactive, it must either have a start date that is in the future, or an end date that is the present or a past day.
How do I add a new expense/deposit?
While looking at any group's budget list, tap on the name of the budget (or anywhere on the row besides its balance arrow). This will display another screen where you can enter your item's settings.
How do I delete an item?
Tap on the balance arrow for the item's budget to display the budget details screen. If the item exists in the current cycle, it will be displayed in the item list. Otherwise you will have to open up the cycle history view and locate the item there. Once you have found the item, tap on it to display its detail screen and then tap the delete button on that screen.
How do I add a recurring expense?
First tap on the balance arrow for the budget that you want to add a recurring expense to in order to display the budget detail view. On this view, tap on the 2nd icon from the right on the bottom toolbar (the circular arrows). This will display the Recurring Expenses list; tap the plus sign on this list to add a new item.
How do I delete a recurring expense?
From the recurring expenses list, tap on the item you want to delete and tap on the delete button on the following screen. You will be asked whether you just want to delete future recurrances or all previous recurrances as well.
I created an item and it disappeared after I saved it. What happened?
One of two things likely occurred. Either the item was entered with a date prior to the budget's start date or after the end of the current cycle. In the latter case, the item will appear once the corresponding cycle begins.
All of the items in some of my budgets have suddenly disappeared. Where are they?
If all of the items that you have entered recently disappear from a budget's details screen (the screen that appears after you tap on the balance arrow for one of your budgets), it is likely that the budget has cycled and items from the previous cycle have been moved to the History view, which you can access by tapping on the clock icon in the toolbar (the 2nd icon from the left). The budget details screen only displays items from the current cycle.
How do I create a new group?
There are two ways to create a group. From the main Groups list, tap the plus sign in the bottom right, type in the group's name and tap Save. Alternatively, when you are creating a new budget you can tap the New Group button on the group select list.
How do I delete a group?
While viewing the main Groups list, swipe your finger across the row corresponding to the group that you want to delete and tap the delete button that appears. If there are budgets in the group, you will be asked whether to just delete the group or all of the budgets it contains as well. The Active and Inactive Budgets groups can't be deleted.
How do I delete a group?
While viewing the main Groups list, swipe your finger across the row corresponding to the group that you want to delete and tap the delete button that appears. If there are budgets in the group, you will be asked whether to just delete the group or all of the budgets it contains as well. The Active and Inactive Budgets groups can't be deleted.
What happens to the budgets when I delete a group?
If there are budgets in the group, you will be asked whether to just delete the group or all of the budgets it contains as well.
Can I add a budget to more than one group?
Currently budgets can only be added to one custom group, in addition to the Active or Inactive Budgets groups.
How do I change the name of a group?
While viewing the budgets in the group, tap on the gears icon on the left end of the bottom toolbar.
How do I get to the options screen?
To access the options screen, tap on the double gears icon on the left side of the bottom toolbar on the main Groups list. To get to this list, tap on the Groups button in the top left of any group's budget list.
What do the Smart Title options mean?
Search All Budgets means that items previously entered into any budget will be searched to find matching autocomplete titles for new items. Search Single Budget means that only the new item's budget will be searched for older items with matching titles. Off will turn off the item title autocomplete feature and probably should not be used unless you are experiencing problems.
- How do I add a new budget?
- How do I delete a budget?
- How do I edit a budget's settings?
- How do I change the order that budgets are displayed in the Active Budgets list?
- How do I change the order that budgets are displayed in my custom group?
- Why are some balances displayed in orange or red?
- How do I change what day of the month a monthly budget starts on?
- How do I change what day of the week a weekly budget starts on?
- Can I use other currencies besides the U.S. dollar?
- How do you view items entered during previous budget cycles?
- How is the Total Budgeted value that is displayed on budget lists calculated?
- What happens if I reset a budget?
- How can I make a budget inactive?
- How do I add a new item?
- How do I delete an item?
- How do I add a recurring expense?
- How do I delete a recurring expense?
- I created an item and it disappeared after I saved it. What happened?
- All of the items in some of my budgets have suddenly disappeared. Where are they?
- How do I create a new group?
- How do I delete a group?
- What happens to the budgets in a group when the group is deleted?
- Can I add a budget to more than one group?
- How do I change the name of a group?
Why can't I log in with my password after updating to 2.0?
Note that the number buttons on the login screen are in a different order than they were in previous versions (now they match the regular calculator style number pad, rather than the phone number style as before). Make sure that you are entering the correct PIN number. If you still can't login, contact us.
How do I add a new budget?
Click the + on the Active Budgets (or any other group) screen and enter the budget's information. Press the Save button and you've got a new budget.
How do I delete a budget?
There are two ways to delete a budget. On the Active Budgets list, you can tap the edit button and then tap the delete icon to the left of the budget's name, and finally tap the delete button that appears. Alternatively, from any group's budget list, swipe your finger across the budget's row and the delete button will appear. Tap the delete button and you will be asked whether you want to delete the budget or just remove it from the group.
How do I edit a budget's settings?
Tap on the budget's balance arrow on the right side of its row while viewing any group. On the following screen, tap the gears icon on the left end of the bottom toolbar. This will display a window similar to the one that you used to create the budget, where you can edit its settings. Beware that changes to the start date or frequency will not have an effect until the next scheduled cycle based on these new settings.
How do I change the order that budgets are displayed in the Active Budgets list?
Budgets can be displayed in alphabetical order or in a custom order (only in the Active Budgets list). To change the order, tap the Edit button on the Active Budgets screen and then select Alphabetical or Custom from the top bar. If you select Custom, you can tap and hold on the right edge of each row and then drag it to a new position to rearrange your budgets. If you switch to alphabetical and then back to custom, your previous custom order will be remembered.
How do I change the order that budgets are displayed in my custom group?
Budgets can only be displayed in alphabetical order in custom groups. See the previous question for more info.
Why are some balances displayed in orange or red?
If you are viewing available balances, the balance will be displayed in orange if less than 50 percent of your budgeted amount for the current cycle is remaining, or in red if they have a 0 or negative balance. If you are viewing spent balances, the balance will be displayed in orange if you have spent more than 50 percent of your budgeted amount during the current cycle, or red if you have spent over the budget. Note that in the spent case if you have balance rollover turned on, you might still have abundant funds remaining in your budget even though the spent balance is orange or red; the app is just trying to tell you that you are spending more than you have generally planned to that cycle.
How do I change what day of the month a monthly budget starts on?
The start date of a budget determines exactly when it cycles. So if you want a budget that cycles on the 10th of every month, set it's start date to the 10th of the month. Keep in mind that setting a start date in the future means that the budget will be inactive until that date arrives.
How do I change what day of the week a weekly budget starts on?
The start date of a budget determines exactly when it cycles. So if you want a budget that cycles every Wednesday, set its start date to a date that falls on Wednesday. Keep in mind that setting a start date in the future means that the budget will be inactive until that date arrives.
Can I use other currencies besides the U.S. dollar?
Yes, the app will use whatever currency is appropriate based on your iPhone/iPod's international settings. Only one currency can be used at a time, and changing your settings will not convert the actual currency values.
How do you view items entered during previous budget cycles?
While viewing any group's budget list, tap the balance arrow on the right of the budget's row. On the following screen, tap the clock icon (2nd from the left) on the bottom toolbar. This will bring up your cycle history view for the budget. Tapping on any cycle will give you a list of items for that cycle.
How is the Total Budgeted value that is displayed on a group's budget list calculated?
The Total Budgeted value is the sum of the available balances in all of the budgets in that group at the beginning of their respective current cycles. This means that the Total Available value is equal to the Total Budgeted minus the Total Spent.
What happens if I reset a budget?
All items in the budget will be deleted (including recurring items) and the budget will restart on whatever the start date is set to using its current settings.
How can I make a budget inactive?
For a budget to be inactive, it must either have a start date that is in the future, or an end date that is the present or a past day.
How do I add a new expense/deposit?
While looking at any group's budget list, tap on the name of the budget (or anywhere on the row besides its balance arrow). This will display another screen where you can enter your item's settings.
How do I delete an item?
Tap on the balance arrow for the item's budget to display the budget details screen. If the item exists in the current cycle, it will be displayed in the item list. Otherwise you will have to open up the cycle history view and locate the item there. Once you have found the item, tap on it to display its detail screen and then tap the delete button on that screen.
How do I add a recurring expense?
First tap on the balance arrow for the budget that you want to add a recurring expense to in order to display the budget detail view. On this view, tap on the 2nd icon from the right on the bottom toolbar (the circular arrows). This will display the Recurring Expenses list; tap the plus sign on this list to add a new item.
How do I delete a recurring expense?
From the recurring expenses list, tap on the item you want to delete and tap on the delete button on the following screen. You will be asked whether you just want to delete future recurrances or all previous recurrances as well.
I created an item and it disappeared after I saved it. What happened?
One of two things likely occurred. Either the item was entered with a date prior to the budget's start date or after the end of the current cycle. In the latter case, the item will appear once the corresponding cycle begins.
All of the items in some of my budgets have suddenly disappeared. Where are they?
If all of the items that you have entered recently disappear from a budget's details screen (the screen that appears after you tap on the balance arrow for one of your budgets), it is likely that the budget has cycled and items from the previous cycle have been moved to the History view, which you can access by tapping on the clock icon in the toolbar (the 2nd icon from the left). The budget details screen only displays items from the current cycle.
How do I create a new group?
There are two ways to create a group. From the main Groups list, tap the plus sign in the bottom right, type in the group's name and tap Save. Alternatively, when you are creating a new budget you can tap the New Group button on the group select list.
How do I delete a group?
While viewing the main Groups list, swipe your finger across the row corresponding to the group that you want to delete and tap the delete button that appears. If there are budgets in the group, you will be asked whether to just delete the group or all of the budgets it contains as well. The Active and Inactive Budgets groups can't be deleted.
How do I delete a group?
While viewing the main Groups list, swipe your finger across the row corresponding to the group that you want to delete and tap the delete button that appears. If there are budgets in the group, you will be asked whether to just delete the group or all of the budgets it contains as well. The Active and Inactive Budgets groups can't be deleted.
What happens to the budgets when I delete a group?
If there are budgets in the group, you will be asked whether to just delete the group or all of the budgets it contains as well.
Can I add a budget to more than one group?
Currently budgets can only be added to one custom group, in addition to the Active or Inactive Budgets groups.
How do I change the name of a group?
While viewing the budgets in the group, tap on the gears icon on the left end of the bottom toolbar.
How do I get to the options screen?
To access the options screen, tap on the double gears icon on the left side of the bottom toolbar on the main Groups list. To get to this list, tap on the Groups button in the top left of any group's budget list.
What do the Smart Title options mean?
Search All Budgets means that items previously entered into any budget will be searched to find matching autocomplete titles for new items. Search Single Budget means that only the new item's budget will be searched for older items with matching titles. Off will turn off the item title autocomplete feature and probably should not be used unless you are experiencing problems.