Move money between categories
Shift unspent allocation from one category to another without changing your total budget — useful when your spending priorities change mid-month.
How it works
Moving money adjusts the limit on two categories at once — the source goes down, the destination goes up. Your total budget stays the same. Only unspent allocation can be moved: if a category's spending has already reached its limit, there's nothing left to transfer.
Move money
- 1Open the budget containing the categories.
- 2Find the category you want to move money from in the Categories section.
- 3Click the transfer icon (⇄) — it appears next to the edit (pencil) icon when you have Owner or Editor access.
- 4In the Move Budget dialog, the source category is pre-filled. The From row shows both the current limit and how much is available to move.
- 5Select the destination category from the To dropdown.
- 6Enter the amount to move. The input is capped at the available (unspent) allocation.
- 7A live preview shows the new limits for both categories before you confirm.
- 8Click Move Budget to apply.
Changes are instant — both category limits update immediately and the dashboard reflects the new figures straight away.
Limits and rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who can transfer | Budget Owners and Editors only |
| Maximum amount | The unspent allocation of the source category (limit minus spending) |
| Overspent categories | Cannot be used as a source — there is no unspent allocation to move |
| Archived categories | Cannot be used as source or destination |
| Minimum categories | At least two active categories must exist in the budget |
When to use this
A few common scenarios where moving money helps:
Spending more than planned in one area
You budgeted $200 for Dining Out but it's the 20th and you've already spent $180. Move $50 from Entertainment (which you've barely touched) to Dining Out to cover the rest of the month without going over.
Unused budget at end of month
You have $80 left in Clothing you know you won't spend. Move it to Groceries or Savings to put it to better use.
Adjusting after a one-off expense
An unexpected car repair hit your Miscellaneous category hard. Move money from a lower-priority category to cover it rather than editing limits manually.
Difference from editing a category limit
Editing a category limit directly changes one category's allocation without balancing it against another. Moving money is a paired adjustment — it keeps your total budget balanced by reducing one category exactly as much as it increases another. Use Move Money when you want to reallocate within a fixed total; use Edit Category when you want to change the overall structure of your budget.
View related FAQ