> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.joinmiyo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create and manage a budget

> Build a Miyo monthly budget by setting category amounts, reviewing spending progress, applying category targets, and copying your plan to a new month.

The **Monthly budget** view connects planned category amounts with transaction activity for the selected month. It is separate from **Savings goals**, which tracks progress toward long-term finish lines.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Budget">
    Open **Budget**, choose **Monthly budget**, and select the month you want to plan. Confirm that you are viewing the expected budget mode before entering amounts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set category amounts">
    Add an amount to the expense categories you want to plan. Keep categories specific enough to guide decisions without creating a category for every merchant.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review progress">
    As transactions receive categories, Miyo compares activity with the relevant budget amount. Warning states can identify categories that are close to or above the plan.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare the next month">
    Copy the previous month's budgets when the structure still fits, then adjust amounts for known changes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Planned amounts and account balances are different

A budget is a plan for how money should be used. Your account balance is where money currently sits. Categorizing a transaction changes budget activity; it does not move money between bank accounts.

<Tip>
  Review uncategorized transactions before trusting a category's remaining amount. Missing categories can make a budget look healthier than it is.
</Tip>

## Use a category target for recurring assignments

A category target helps answer how much you should assign to a spending category. You can:

* **Add another** amount each period, even when money remains available.
* **Refill available** only by the amount missing from the target.
* Build an available amount **By a date**.

[Understand category targets](/budgets/category-targets)

## Use a savings goal for one finish line

A savings goal tracks how much you have saved toward one total. For example, after contributing \$200 to a \$10,000 goal, progress is \$200 of \$10,000.

If you add a target date, Miyo can estimate a monthly pace. The current month's total appears as **Savings contributions** in your monthly plan.

[Create a savings goal](/goals/create-savings-goal)