Getting Started with Daily Bread
Set up your first budget in minutes. Create categories, add accounts, and start giving every dollar a job.
Your First Five Minutes
Getting started with Daily Bread is straightforward. Here's what you'll do in your first session:
Create your account
Sign up with your email or Google account. It takes seconds. Once you're in, Daily Bread creates a set of default categories to get you started — you can customize these anytime.
Review your categories
Head to the Budget page. You'll see category groups like Essentials, Transportation, and Savings, each containing individual categories. These are your digital envelopes. Rename, add, or remove categories to match your life.
Add your accounts
Click Add Account in the sidebar. You can add accounts manually (just give them a name, type, and starting balance) or connect your real bank for automatic transaction import.
Budget your money
Look at the green To Be Budgeted number at the top. This is money waiting to be assigned. Click each category's budgeted cell and type an amount. Watch "To Be Budgeted" count down to zero as you give every dollar a job.
Record spending
As you spend money, add transactions to your accounts. Each transaction gets assigned to a category, which reduces that category's available balance — just like taking cash from an envelope.
Setting Up Categories
Your categories should reflect how you actually spend money. Here's a solid starting structure:
Essentials
- Rent / Mortgage
- Groceries
- Utilities
- Phone / Internet
Transportation
- Gas / Fuel
- Car Insurance
- Car Maintenance
- Public Transit
Living
- Dining Out
- Entertainment
- Clothing
- Personal Care
Financial
- Savings
- Emergency Fund
- Debt Payments
True Expenses
- Car Insurance (annual)
- Holiday Gifts
- Medical / Dental
- Home Maintenance
Note
Don't overthink your categories at the start. You can always add, rename, or reorganize them later. Start broad and get more specific as you learn where your money goes.
Account Types
Daily Bread supports several account types:
- Checking — Your primary spending account
- Savings — Savings and high-yield accounts
- Credit Card — Track credit card spending against your budget
- Cash — For cash you carry
- Line of Credit — Home equity lines, etc.
- Investment — Track portfolio value (off-budget)
- Loan — Mortgages, car loans, student loans
On-budget vs. Off-budget: Most accounts should be "on budget" — their transactions affect your category balances. Investment and loan accounts are typically "off budget" since they track net worth but don't represent spendable money.
Your First Month
Your first month is about establishing a baseline. Here's what to expect:
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You'll forget categories — That's okay. When you encounter a transaction that doesn't fit, create a new category.
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You'll overspend somewhere — Move money from another category to cover it. This is the system working, not failing.
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To Be Budgeted might go negative — This means you've budgeted more than you have. Remove budget amounts until it's back to zero.
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It gets easier — By month two, you'll have a template. By month three, it becomes second nature.
Tip
Focus on getting to zero in "To Be Budgeted." Every dollar should have a job. If you have money left over, put it in Savings or next month's rent — don't leave it unassigned.
Next Steps
Once you're comfortable with the basics:
Connect Your Bank
Automatic transaction import from your accounts
Set Up Payee Rules
Auto-categorize recurring transactions
Add Goals
Track progress toward savings targets
Explore Reports
See where your money goes over time
- Connect your bank account for automatic transaction import
- Set up payee rules to auto-categorize recurring transactions
- Add goals to track progress toward savings targets
- Explore reports to see where your money goes