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Welcome to CashCat! This guide will walk you through creating your first budget and help you understand the zero-based budgeting approach.

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What is zero-based budgeting?

Zero-based budgeting means assigning every penny of your income to a specific category. The goal is to reach zero—not zero dollars in your account, but zero unassigned dollars. Every penny has a purpose.
CashCat is built around the philosophy that every penny has a purpose. You assign all income into categories with clear intention.

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Getting started

1

Launch the budget wizard

When you first log into CashCat, you’ll see a welcome screen with a “Get Started” button. Click it to launch the onboarding wizard.The wizard will guide you through two main setup tasks:
  • Creating your budget categories
  • Optionally adding your bank accounts
2

Create your budget categories

The budget wizard will open first. Here’s where you define how your money will be organized.Recommended starter categories:
  • Groceries
  • Rent/Mortgage
  • Utilities
  • Transportation
  • Entertainment
  • Savings
For each category, enter:
  • Category name - What you’re budgeting for
  • Monthly goal - How much you plan to spend or save
Start with broad categories. You can always add more specific ones later as you learn your spending patterns.
3

Add your accounts (optional)

After setting up categories, you can add your bank accounts. This helps you track where your money is physically located.While inside the wizard, you’ll be prompted to add accounts. You can:
  • Add accounts now to complete your setup
  • Skip this step and add them later from the settings
CashCat currently requires manual transaction entry. Automatic bank imports via OpenBanking are on the roadmap.
4

Complete the tour

After closing the budget wizard, a spotlight tour will highlight key features of the budget page:
  • Where to view your categories
  • How to add transactions
  • How to edit your budget
The tour is quick and helps you navigate the interface with confidence.
5

Start tracking transactions

Now you’re ready to use CashCat! Add transactions as they happen:
  1. Click the ”+” button or transaction entry area
  2. Enter the amount and select a category
  3. Add a description (optional but recommended)
  4. Choose the account the money came from
Your category balances will update automatically, showing you how much remains in each budget category.

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Understanding your budget view

After setup, your budget page shows:
  • Category cards - Each category displays your goal, spent amount, and remaining balance
  • Transaction list - All your transactions in chronological order
  • Monthly summary - Overview of total income vs. expenses
Category balances turn red when you exceed your goal. This visual cue helps you spot overspending quickly.

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What happens to unspent money?

One of CashCat’s core principles is money you don’t spend rolls forward. Unspent amounts carry into future months seamlessly, so you never lose track of your progress.
Automatic rollover of unspent budget is currently on the roadmap. For now, you can manually adjust your categories at the start of each month.

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Next steps

Now that your budget is set up:
  1. Review best practices for zero-based budgeting
  2. Start adding transactions daily to build the habit
  3. Check your budget weekly to stay on track
  4. Adjust categories as needed—your budget should evolve with your needs
The first month is always the hardest. Give yourself grace as you learn your true spending patterns.

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