Create Your Categories

See how Budget Compass organizes income and expenses into clear categories you can use throughout your budget and reports.

🛒 Groceries 🏠 Housing 🚗 Automobile 💡 Utilities 💵 Income 🍽️ Dining 📱 Cell Phone 🩺 Medical 🎬 Entertainment 🛡️ Insurance 🎓 Education

22 rules created

Manage Your Category Rules

Review your rules 10 at a time, search for a Payee or Category, or find rules that are not currently used by any transactions.

Matching Payee Words ↕	Category	Transactions ↕	Type	Actions
DEMO Chipotle	Dining	2	expense	Read only
DEMO Olive Garden	Dining	2	expense	Read only
DEMO Netflix	Entertainment	2	expense	Read only
DEMO Freelance Work	Freelance Income	2	income	Read only
DEMO Chevron Gas	Gas	2	expense	Read only
DEMO Shell Gasoline	Gas	1	expense	Read only
DEMO Costco	Groceries	3	expense	Read only
DEMO Smith's Grocery	Groceries	4	expense	Read only
DEMO Comcast Internet	Internet	2	expense	Read only
DEMO Atticus Factory	Job Income	2	income	Read only

Want to Learn More?

Now that you have seen how the demo rules are organized, open any question below for a quick explanation.

Learn How to Make Better Rules

These quick examples explain how matching words and categories work together.

How do I choose good Matching Payee Words?

Choose the part of the Payee that identifies who the transaction is from or who you paid. Avoid words that are so broad that they could match unrelated transactions.

Payee shown in transaction	Matching Payee Words	Why
SMITHS FOOD & DRUG #0045	Smiths ✓	Identifies Smiths without relying on a store number.
CHEVRON GAS STATION 1042	Chevron ✓	Identifies the Payee clearly.
DOMINION ENERGY GAS	Dominion Energy ✓	Separates your utility payment from gasoline purchases.
CHEVRON GAS STATION 1042	Gas ✗	Too broad. It could also match a natural-gas utility transaction.
SMITHS FOOD & DRUG #0045	#0045 ✗	A store number may be too specific and may not match another Smiths location.

A good rule matches the transactions you want without accidentally matching transactions that belong somewhere else.

How do I choose a useful Category name?

Your Payee tells you who you paid. Your Category tells you what the money was for. Choose category names that will make sense when you review your budget or reports later.

Payee	Not as helpful	Better Category
Smiths	Smiths ✗	Groceries ✓
Chevron	Chevron ✗	Automobile - Gas ✓
Rocky Mountain Power	Rocky Mountain Power ✗	Utilities ✓
Netflix	Netflix ✗	Subscriptions or Entertainment ✓

Try not to create a separate category for every store or company. Categories are most useful when they group similar spending together.

What happens after I create a rule?

Your rule is saved for future use. When you run Apply Your Category Rules, Budget Compass uses your Matching Payee Words to place matching transactions into the Category you selected. Afterward, review Uncategorized Transactions for anything that still needs attention.

Continue the Demo

You have seen how matching words connect transactions to categories. Next, see how those categorized transactions become a clear income-and-expense picture.

← Back to Transactions Next: View Demo Budget → Create Free Account