Why totals differ between pages
Each page answers a slightly different question, so each counts income, spending, refunds and the current month a little differently. The big three: Cash Flow and Forecast count every dollar in as income; Summary and Month View only count Income-group deposits; and refunds are either income or a reduction in spending depending on the page.
If your October spending is $2,400 on Cash Flow and $2,340 on Month View, neither is wrong. They draw the line between income and spending in different places. Here is where each page draws it.
Side by side
| Page | Income | Spending | Refunds | Current month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Flow | Every dollar in | Money out, except Savings group | Count as income | Estimated with a 90-day average |
| Forecast | Every dollar in, last 3 complete months ÷ 3 | Money out except Savings group, ÷ 3 | Count as income | Left out |
| Summary cards and year table | Income group + custom income | Every category outside Income and Savings | Netted in their category | Estimated at this month's pace |
| Summary short ranges and "Est:" | Not applicable | Money out, without credit card payments | Not subtracted | Straight-line |
| Month View headline | Income group | Money out − Savings group − credits | Subtracted from spending | Projected |
| Flow chart | Income group | Categories outside Income, minus Savings group | Netted in their category | Not estimated |
| Dashboard templates | Income group | Money out outside Income and Savings | Left out | Actual so far |
| Compare | Income group, about 12 months | Mapped categories | Netted in their category | Included as is |
Cash Flow counts every amount that comes in as income ($5,560), including the refund and the money moved back from savings. Spending is money out outside the Savings group ($2,400). Rate = net ÷ income, rounded to a whole percent.
Refunds
A $60 refund from Target makes Cash Flow's income $60 higher. On Month View the same $60 comes off spending. On Summary and the flow chart it reduces the Shopping category. On the Dashboard templates it is not counted at all, because they only count money out.
Money coming back from savings
Moving $500 back from savings into checking is $500 of income on Cash Flow and Forecast. On Month View, Summary and the flow chart it is not income, because its category is in the Savings group, not the Income group.
Uncategorized transactions
Cash Flow, Forecast and Month View count uncategorized money out as spending. Summary's cards and table and the flow chart work from category totals, so transactions with no category do not appear there until you give them one.
The current month
- Cash Flow estimates month end with your 90-day everyday spending rate plus bills still due.
- Summary and Month View estimate it from this month's own pace so far plus bills still due.
- Forecast ignores the current month entirely.
- Early in a month the two estimates can be far apart. They meet once the month is over.
Savings rate
Most savings rates follow your choice in Settings > Savings Rate (Bank only, Including retirement, or Percent of total pay): the Cash Flow card, Forecast, the Summary strip, Month View's headline card (for completed months) and the flow chart. Three always use the bank-only figure: Summary's header rate, Month View's lower 📈 Savings Rate box and Lifestyle creep. Each also covers a different window, from one month to a whole range.
Rows that do not add up
- Month View's 📋 Category deep dive shows money out before refunds and includes Savings-group categories, so it can total more than 🛒 Total spending.
- Summary's short ranges (Month to 90d) count money out without subtracting refunds and without credit card payments, while YTD nets refunds. The same month can show two totals.
What every page agrees on
- Transactions labelled ignore are left out. It is the one switch that removes a transaction from every report. See Keep a transaction out of your totals.
- Pending transactions count until the posted version replaces them (Lifestyle creep is the only exception).
- Money moved to a Savings-group category is never counted as spending in the headline totals.
Common questions
Which page has the "right" spending number?
For a month, Month View is the closest to what you actually spent, because it subtracts refunds and leaves out savings transfers. Cash Flow is the best view of cash in versus cash out.
Why is my savings rate different on every page?
Pages cover different windows (one month, a year, three months) and some always use the bank-only basis while others follow your Settings choice.
How do I remove a transaction from every report?
Label it ignore. Every report page leaves ignored transactions out.
Why do my estimates for this month disagree?
Cash Flow uses your 90-day average daily spending; Summary and Month View use this month's pace so far.
Still stuck?
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