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Getting set up

Understanding your dashboard: leftover, spent, and cycle close

2 min read

The Budgeto dashboard is built to answer one question at a glance: how am I doing this cycle? This guide explains the key numbers and what happens when a cycle ends.

Leftover and spent

Two numbers do most of the work:

  • Leftover — what's left to spend before your next payday.
  • Spent — how much has left your budget so far this cycle.

Because both are scoped to your budget cycle, they already account for the period your current pay needs to cover. There's no mental math to do — leftover is simply what you've got left until you get paid again.

Reading the dashboard day to day

The habit is meant to be light:

  1. Open the dashboard.
  2. Read your leftover.
  3. Carry on.

You don't need to study it. A daily glance is plenty to keep you aware and help you make good spending calls in the moment.

What cycle close means

When your next pay lands, the current cycle closes and a new one kicks off automatically on your anchor date. Cycle close is a natural checkpoint:

  • Your spent total for the cycle is final — honest feedback on how it went.
  • A fresh cycle starts with your income and recurring entries already applied.
  • You begin again with a clean leftover number.

Make the most of cycle close

Take two minutes at each cycle close to glance at what you spent before moving on. Over a few cycles, that small reflection is where real budgeting progress comes from.

Going deeper

If you want longer-term context, Budgeto can show historical review and trends across past cycles. For how to use trends without overthinking them, read Reading your spending trends without overthinking it.

Still need a hand?

Browse more help topics or get in touch with the Budgeto team.