Update

EEBA is now Goodbudget! Goodbudget has all the great features of EEBA (and more!) in a new and updated interface. Check out our updated article on this topic, and check out the Goodbudget Help Center for the most recent help content.

Q: I have multiple or variable incomes with expenses that are due throughout the month. How can I keep track of everything in EEBA?

Q: I have a monthly budgeting period, but I get paid bi-weekly, how can I manage my budget in EEBA?

Keeping track of a single, stable income can be hard enough. For those with more than one income, or an income that varies month to month, things can quickly get more complicated. You aren’t certain how much money you really have to spend, or which paycheck you should use to spend on which expenses. Thankfully, EEBA can help.

Working Towards a One Month Cushion

The ideal solution is to pool your income into Unallocated Money as a one month cushion for your budget. Then, use it fund your Envelopes all at once at the beginning of the month.

If that’s not an option for you yet, don’t worry! You can still use EEBA to manage your incomes and build up that one month cushion. Here’s how you can do it in 3 simple steps.

1. Make sure your budget makes sense

For many, building up a one month cushion is simply an issue of cash flow. For others a more serious change is needed. Check out our guide on creating a budget based off your income to know you’re starting off on the right foot.

2. Pool your income in Unallocated Money

When you receive income, head over to the Add Money / Receive Income page and choose “Keep Unallocated” to store your income.

3. Fund Your Envelopes

Then, head to the Distribute from Unallocated page to fund your Envelopes. You won’t be able to fund everything, so prioritize Envelopes that you need to spend from sooner, and Envelopes that represent necessities.

Only take what you need from your Unallocated Money, making an effort to take less than you put in each time you fund your Envelopes. As time goes on, your Unallocated Money balance should increase. Eventually, you’ll be able to fund all your Envelopes entirely from your Unallocated Money at the beginning of the month.

Schedule It

Use Scheduled Items (available on our Plus and Premium plans) to automatically fund your Envelopes the way you like every month. This is great if you want to “set it and forget it.” You’ll probably be a bit less aware of what’s happening in your budget, though – and that may or may not be a good thing.

1. Create a Scheduled Income instead of a one-time income, and remember to choose “Keep Unallocated.” If you get paid on a regular basis but the amount of your paycheck changes, you can edit it later when you know the exact amount.
2. Create a Scheduled Distribution instead of a one-time distribution. Set the amount and “Action” rules. You can make changes later if your distribution varies from month to month.

Thanks to Judy for the question!

Last Updated: 4/22/12