Budget pace and the month-end projection
Pace compares what you've spent with an even share of your monthly budget for today's date. If you've spent more than that share you're ahead of pace. The projection assumes your daily rate so far holds to the end of the month.
Pace only appears for the current month. For a past month the page simply tells you what the month came in at against its budget.
Where you see pace
- On a computer: the pace chart on the right of the Budget page, headed with the day (for example day 16 of 31), and the dashed date line across the category rows (Show Date Line).
- On a phone: the pill under the numbers at the top, which reads $X ahead of pace in red or $X under pace in green, and the Pace tab.
How pace is calculated
Pace = Spent so far − Monthly budget × (today ÷ days in the month)
- A positive result means you are ahead of pace: you've spent more than an even share for this date.
- Zero or negative means you are under pace.
- Example: a $3,800 budget on day 16 of 31 gives an even share of 3,800 × 16 ÷ 31 = $1,961. With $2,340 spent you are $379 ahead of pace.
At this rate Oct 2026 finishes near $4,534, $734 past budget.
Being ahead of pace isn't always a problem. Rent and other big bills land early in the month and push you ahead, then the gap closes. The pace chart accounts for that; the simple pace figure does not.
The pace chart
The chart on a computer (and the Pace tab on a phone) draws four lines through the month:
- Actual
- Solid teal. Your cumulative spending day by day.
- Budget
- Grey dashes. It climbs a little each day, and jumps on the days your recurring bills are expected. Grey dots mark those days; hover one to see the bills under RECURRING.
- Projected
- Faint teal dashes. Where today's daily rate takes you by the end of the month.
- Savings
- Green. Money moved into your Savings categories.
Budget line per day = (Monthly budget − recurring bills) ÷ days in the month
- Each recurring bill is added on its expected day. Set those up on the Recurring page; see Recurring bills and income. If your bills add up to more than the budget, the line is just the bill steps.
Hover the chart to see that day's spent (or projected) amount, the budget line, your savings, and Over when spending has crossed the budget line.
The month-end projection
Projected month end = Spent so far ÷ today × days in the month
- $2,340 ÷ 16 × 31 = $4,534, which is $734 past a $3,800 budget.
Under the chart, FIYR puts this in words: "At this rate Oct 2026 finishes near $4,534", followed by how far past or under budget that is. The amount turns red when it's over. This is a straight-line estimate. A month with its big bills already paid will usually finish below it.
Budget-pace alerts
FIYR can also warn you when a single category is heading over. These alerts are worked out separately from the page, with a smarter projection:
Projected = recurring bills so far + other spending ÷ (today ÷ days in the month)
- Bills linked to a recurring rule count once, as they are. Only the rest is scaled up to a full month.
- Only purchases count. Refunds, ignored transactions, Income and Savings categories are left out.
An alert fires for a category when all of these are true:
- It has a budget this month and some spending.
- It's day 7 or later. Early-month projections swing too much.
- The projection is at least 15% over budget (you can change this).
- And at least $50 over, so small categories don't nag.
Example: Eating Out has a $400 budget and $260 spent by day 12 of 30. 260 ÷ (12 ÷ 30) = $650 projected, 63% over, so you'd see "🍔 Eating Out is pacing over budget". The alert lands in the bell and, if you allow it, as a push notification (not overnight). You get at most four category alerts at a time, biggest overspend first, and an alert comes back only if it gets noticeably worse.
Tap the alert to open the category's page, which shows this month against your usual and how much is left per day to stay on budget. See A category's detail page.
Change or turn off the alert
Use the switch to turn budget-pace alerts on or off, and Alert when projected over by to change the 15%. More in Alerts.
Common questions
What does "ahead of pace" mean?
You've spent more than an even share of your monthly budget for today's date. On day 16 of 31, an even share is 16/31 of the budget.
I got a "pacing over budget" alert but I'm still under budget. Why?
The alert looks ahead. It scales your spending so far to a full month (counting recurring bills once) and fires when that projection is at least 15% and $50 over budget, from day 7 on.
Why don't I see pace for last month?
Pace is about the month in progress. For a past month the page shows what the month came in at against its budget.
Why does the budget line jump on certain days?
Those are your recurring bills, added on the days they are expected. The rest of the budget is spread evenly across the month.
Does the projection count bills I haven't paid yet?
The page's projection doesn't: it is spending so far divided by today, times the days in the month. The pace chart's budget line is where upcoming bills appear.
Still stuck?
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