Monthly budgeting
A budget you check against what actually happened.
Set monthly targets by category, review your transactions, and compare planned with actual spending. Link accounts through Plaid or keep it fully manual. Then see how your spending plan affects your projected Work Optional Date.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Bank linking optional
After signup, follow the guided setup to build your financial profile. Then set monthly targets and review actual spending.
The monthly loop, in three moves.
- 01
Set the month
Give each spending category a monthly target. Start from your real spending history or type the numbers in yourself.
- 02
Review transactions
Linked transactions arrive auto-categorized; imported files and hand-entered actuals work too. Re-categorize anything that looks wrong and the comparison updates.
- 03
Compare budget vs. actual
Each category shows planned against spent, so overruns are visible mid-month instead of at statement time.
PeakWorth uses category targets compared against actual spending. It is not a zero-based or envelope system that requires assigning every dollar.
Linked or manual. Your call.
On Navigator and above, connect bank and card accounts through Plaid so balances and transactions stay current. PeakWorth never sees your bank login.
Starter includes the monthly budget with manual inputs only. No bank connection required, on any plan.
What budgeting apps stop short of
Your budget, connected to the year work becomes optional.
The same numbers feed a lifetime projection. Change a category target and see the effect on your projected Work Optional Date. It is there when you want it; the budget works on its own.
- Projection uses your income, spending, and balances
- Model decisions like a home or job change in the Decision Hub
- Educational projections, not financial advice
Walkthrough
What your first session actually looks like.
Income
Add your income
Enter each income source as a yearly gross amount with its pay frequency. PeakWorth estimates taxes and take-home, which the monthly plan is measured against.
Expenses
Set category targets
Type monthly amounts yourself, or generate a starter budget from your income and edit every row before relying on it.
Connect, Import, or Plan vs. Reality
Bring in what you spent
Link accounts on plans that include connections, import a supported file, or type actuals into a category by hand.
Plan vs. Reality
Review the month
Each category shows target against actual with mid-month pacing. Open a category to see the transactions behind it and re-categorize.
How it works, and where it stops.
So you can judge fit before signing up. Screenshots on this page are example households, not customer data.
- Budget method
- Category targets compared with actuals. Not zero-based or envelope budgeting; unassigned dollars are not tracked as a balance.
- Actuals
- Linked, imported, and manual amounts are added together. Entering the same spending two ways will count it twice.
- Categorization
- Automatic categories on linked transactions are a starting point and can be wrong. Corrections are yours to make.
- Projections
- The Work Optional Date depends on your inputs and stated assumptions. It is an educational estimate, not advice or a guarantee.
- Switching apps
- You can import transaction files. Another app's budget rules, goals, and settings do not carry over automatically.
- Plans
- Manual budgeting works without a bank connection. Account linking and AI features depend on plan; see pricing.
Coming from another budgeting app?
Pricing
Starter covers the monthly budget with manual inputs. Navigator adds Plaid account connections. Every plan starts with the same 14-day free trial, no payment method required.
Compare plansSecurity
Connections run through Plaid; your bank credentials are never stored by PeakWorth. Data is encrypted in transit and bank tokens are encrypted at rest.
How we protect your dataBuild this month's budget.
Create an account, add your income, set category targets, then link accounts, import a file, or enter actuals by hand.
Educational projections only — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a licensed professional before major decisions. Read full disclosures