Topic: Budget - Category and Subcategory level

Hi, it's a more complex topic.

Definition of the budget targets:
The current construction of budget allows tracking expenses for one or several subcategories. I would call this 'tracking of specific targets'.
It is difficult to track all expenses - system expects in this case, you specify all subcategory targets what is a big work and gives a lot of not needed detail targets. I prefer to track all my expenses (and incomes) on the top level = on the category level. I would obligatory set my budget targets on category level (4-6 amounts) and optionally on selected subcategory levels (to support as well tracking of specific targets). The sum of all subcategory targets should be lower or equal than the category target. The simple solution: just check it by saving and reject if bigger, the more extended solution: update category target if sum of subcategory targets exceeds it.

Budget review:
I would expect the review budget window has two options (like the Summary X window):
1. Category with farther selection of '*' and Subcategory'
2. Subcategory.

And maybe by the way more general proposal: just add the new tab 'Budget' on the left (we would have: Transactions, Statistics, Summary X and Budget) - it would be more natural selection then from the menu Financial Tools / Budget.

  • Slavik
  • Slavik
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Re: Budget - Category and Subcategory level

I understand your request, slasza. You are not alone, which demand the budget by the categories (not only by the subcategories). But it is not such easy to implement this another type of budget to the program (the structure of the table in the database is default set to the subcategories, not to the categories). This is the reason, why I didn’t implement this type of budget yet. I need to think thorougly how to bypass this disadvantage.
I am not sure, if it is a good idea to place a budget to the main window (to the tabs Transactions, Statistics and SummaryX). It depend on the angle of the view. Tabs Transactions, Statistics and SummaryX work with real amounts only (instead of the Budget, where you mix both type of amounts:  planned and real). But again – maybe I am wrong and your idea will be welcomed by the other users. Are they willing to discuss about this suggestion on this forum?

Re: Budget - Category and Subcategory level

I believe, you can implement the idea without changing the database structure. The category level would mean the additional record in the CATEGORIES table (empty [or null] subcategory field) and automatically in the BUDGET table. This means that (sub)category filters should filter out (or not) the records with an empty subcategory field. And of course, each new transaction should update sum in two records: on the category level and on the subcategory level.

Budget as a new tab: I do not know the internal dependencies. If this idea is difficult to implement, let's mark it as 'nice-to-have'.