Test a financial decision

Your current balance is not the same as money available to spend: part of it may already be needed for rent, bills, or other commitments. Add a decision to the plan before acting on it.

Add the decision as a scenario

1. Make sure important account balances are current.
2. Open Transactions and add a new expense.
3. Choose an appropriate category.
4. Set the frequency to Once.
5. Enter the estimated amount, currency, and payment date.
6. Save the transaction.

Check the impact

Open Budget and review the purchase month:

• the month-end balance;
• the forecast for later months;
• other large expenses near that date;
• any period where the balance becomes uncomfortably low.

Compare options

Change the date or amount and check the forecast again. This lets you compare:

• buying now or in a few months;
• choosing a more affordable option;
• spreading expenses over time;
• cancelling another optional expense;
• waiting for expected income.

Evaluate the result

A decision fits the plan better when the balance stays above a level you consider acceptable after all known commitments and recovers at the expected pace.

There is no universal safe balance. It depends on your own commitments and attitude to risk.

More examples are available under Financial planning use cases.