Manage categories and budget limits

Shape your category tree, assign monthly limits, and choose rollover categories so reports and budget widgets reflect how you actually spend.

Start with the structure

If you skipped standard categories during welcome, open Settings > Categories first. It is an add-only list of the starter categories your household does not yet have. Use Budget > Categories for custom categories and changes to the existing tree.

Create or tidy parent categories first, then add sub-categories only when they help you make a better decision. Too much detail makes reports noisy; too little detail makes budgets vague.

Parent categories organise related choices. Transactions can only be assigned to a child (leaf) category, so expand the relevant parent before choosing where a transaction belongs.

Add limits where they matter

Monthly limits can be assigned at the joint level or per member, depending on how your household is organised. Once a positive limit exists, Dolla can calculate real progress.

Use rollover categories for sinking funds

Mark a category as a rollover category when unused budget should carry forward, such as car repairs, annual bills, or other sinking-fund style expenses. The Rollovers row in Track uses the category's monthly limit and year-to-date spending to show carried-forward funds and the amount still available in the selected period.

Keep category groups sensible

The categories view can switch between major groups such as household, transport, or discretionary-style buckets. If a group feels empty, it usually means categories have not been assigned there yet.