Budget Alerts
Stay informed when you're approaching or exceeding your budget limits
Understanding Budget Alerts
Budget alerts help you stay aware of your spending status. The system uses visual indicators and alert messages to warn you when you're getting close to or exceeding your budget limits.
These alerts appear automatically on the budgets page as you add transactions throughout the month - you don't need to set up or configure anything.
Progress Bar Color Warnings
Each budget has a progress bar that changes color based on how much you've spent:
Dark Gray - Safe Zone (Under 80%)
You're well within your budget. No action needed.
Orange - Warning Zone (80-99%)
You're approaching your limit. Be careful with additional spending in this category.
Red - Over Budget (100%+)
You've exceeded your budget limit for this category.
Top Alert Banner
When any of your budgets go over their limit, a red alert banner appears at the top of your budget list:
This banner only appears when you have at least one over-budget category. It provides a quick visual warning that some budgets need your attention.
Individual Budget Over-Spending Messages
Below each over-budget category, you'll see exactly how much you've overspent:
Over budget by $33.07
This message appears directly under the progress bar for any budget where spending exceeds the limit. It shows the exact dollar amount you're over, making it easy to understand how much to cut back.
What to Do When You See an Alert
When you see a budget alert, you have several options:
- Reduce spending - Stop or limit spending in that category for the rest of the budget period
- Review transactions - Check if there are any mistakes or unnecessary expenses you can return
- Adjust the budget - If the alert is due to an unrealistic budget amount, edit the budget to a more appropriate level
- Move money from another budget - If you have leftover budget in other categories, you might choose to mentally reallocate those funds
- Accept it and move on - Sometimes overspending happens. Learn from it and do better next period.
Approaching Budget Warnings
The orange progress bar (80-100%) serves as an early warning system before you actually go over budget. This gives you time to:
- Slow down spending in that category
- Find cheaper alternatives for remaining purchases
- Postpone non-essential expenses until next period
- Decide if it's worth going over for this specific expense
Pay attention to orange progress bars - they're your chance to stay under budget with some quick adjustments.
Multiple Budget Alerts
If you see alerts on multiple budgets at once, prioritize your response:
- Focus on red (over budget) categories first - These need immediate attention
- Then address orange (80-100%) categories - Prevent them from going red
- Review your overall spending patterns - Multiple alerts might indicate your total budget is unrealistic
If you consistently see multiple alerts, consider adjusting your budgets or finding ways to increase your income.
Pro Tip
Check your budgets weekly instead of waiting until the end of the month. This gives you multiple opportunities to course-correct before alerts appear.
Set a recurring calendar reminder every Monday morning to review your budget progress. This takes just 2-3 minutes and can save you from overspending.
Remember
Budget alerts are tools to help you, not criticisms. Going over budget occasionally is normal. The important thing is to be aware of it, understand why it happened, and make adjustments for the future. Progress, not perfection!