Money
Monthly budget review in three short sittings
A calm money check-in around the end of each month. Import, sort, compare against your budgets and set next month's limits, one small step a day.
What’s inside
Monthly budget review· 5 items
Note anything unusual this month
2 days before the last day of the month
- One-off costs, like repairs or gifts
- Refunds you are still waiting for
A two-line note now saves guessing later when a category looks high.
Import the month's statements
1 days after the last day of the month
- Every account and card exported as CSV
- Each file imported into the right account
- Counts checked for new, already here and unreadable lines
Sort uncategorized transactions
1 days after the last day of the month
- Each transaction given a category
- A rule added for any payee you sorted by hand twice
- Transfers between your own accounts linked
Compare spending with your budgets
2 days after the last day of the month
- Money in, spent and left over noted
- Categories over their limit listed, without judging them
- Bills coming up in the next 14 days checked
Set next month's budgets
3 days after the last day of the month
- Limits that were clearly too low or too high adjusted
- Known big costs next month written down
Budgets can't be edited in place yet. Delete the old one and add a new limit.
Why it’s spread over a few days
A budget review that takes one long evening is a review that gets postponed. This one splits the work by the kind of thinking it needs. Two days before the month ends you jot down the odd costs while you still remember them. The day after, you do the mechanical part: import and sort. The next day you look at the numbers with fresh eyes. Setting next month’s limits comes last, once you’ve seen the whole picture.
Reading the numbers kindly
When a category goes past its limit, Thendoo shows Over by in a soft orange, not red. Treat it as information. A high grocery month might mean guests, or a price rise, or a limit that was never realistic. The note you wrote at the start usually explains it.
How to adapt it
- Paid on a different day? Use your payday as the date instead of month end and keep the same rhythm.
- Several currencies? Add a step to enter the month’s exchange rates first, since amounts without a rate are left out of totals.
- Budgets carry no rollover, so if you save up for a yearly cost, track that in a savings goal instead.
An honest tip
The first review always takes longest, because your rules are still thin. By the third month most transactions sort themselves. This is a planning aid, not financial advice.