Budget Periods

Budget Periods

Budget periods determine how long a budget lasts before it resets. Curl Budget supports monthly, quarterly, and yearly periods to match different types of expenses.

Available Periods

Monthly

Budgets reset on the 1st of each month.

Current period example:

• If today is January 15th
• Period: January 1 - January 31
• Days remaining: 16

Best for:

• Regular recurring expenses
• Day-to-day spending
• Most household budgets

Examples:

• Groceries
• Dining out
• Entertainment
• Transportation
• Utilities

Quarterly

Budgets reset every three months on standard quarters.

Quarter dates:

• Q1: January 1 - March 31
• Q2: April 1 - June 30
• Q3: July 1 - September 30
• Q4: October 1 - December 31

Best for:

• Expenses that don't occur monthly
• Seasonal spending patterns
• Quarterly billing cycles

Examples:

• Clothing (seasonal)
• Home maintenance
• Quarterly subscriptions
• Gifts (spread across quarter)

Yearly

Budgets reset on January 1st each year.

Current period:

• Always January 1 - December 31 of the current year

Best for:

• Annual expenses
• Large purchase planning
• Savings goals
• Infrequent but predictable costs

Examples:

• Vacation budget
• Holiday gifts
• Annual subscriptions
• Car maintenance
• Insurance (if paid annually)

How Periods Affect Tracking

Progress Calculation

Your budget progress is calculated based on the current period:

Percentage = (Spent in Current Period / Budget Limit) × 100

Only transactions within the current period count toward the budget.

Daily Allowance

Curl Budget calculates how much you can spend per day:

Daily Allowance = Remaining Budget / Days Left in Period

This helps you pace your spending:

• Monthly budget of $600 for groceries
• 20 days left in month
• Daily allowance: $30/day

Period Reset

When a new period starts:

• Spent amount resets to $0
• Progress percentage resets to 0%
• Daily allowance recalculates based on full period
• Historical data is preserved for reporting

Choosing the Right Period

Match Spending Patterns

Choose periods that match how you actually spend:

Expense Type	Recommended Period	Reason
Groceries	Monthly	Consistent weekly/biweekly spending
Dining Out	Monthly	Regular occurrence
Clothing	Quarterly	Seasonal purchases
Gifts	Quarterly or Yearly	Holiday/birthday clusters
Vacation	Yearly	Annual trips
Car Repair	Yearly	Unpredictable, average over year

Consider Variability

Low variability (similar each month): Monthly budgets work well

• Groceries: ~$500-600/month
• Utilities: ~$150-200/month

High variability (spikes and lulls): Longer periods smooth things out

• Clothing: $0 some months, $300 others → Quarterly
• Home repair: $0 most months, $1,000 occasionally → Yearly

Multiple Budgets for Same Category

You can create multiple budgets at different levels:

• Monthly: $200 for Restaurants (regular dining)
• Yearly: $1,000 for "Special Occasions" tag (birthdays, anniversaries)

Period Proration

When you create a budget mid-period, Curl Budget handles it intelligently:

New Budget Mid-Month

If you create a $600/month grocery budget on January 15th:

• The full $600 limit applies (not prorated to $300)
• All January transactions count toward the budget
• Next month starts fresh with the full limit

Why No Proration?

Prorating mid-period would be confusing:

• "I budgeted $600 but it only shows $300"
• Hard to compare month-to-month
• Unexpected daily allowance calculations

Instead, creating a budget always gives you the full period limit.

Viewing Period Information

Each budget shows:

Current Period

• Start and end dates
• Days elapsed
• Days remaining

Progress in Context

• How spending compares to the period timeline
• Whether you're ahead or behind pace

Example:

• Monthly budget: $600
• Day 15 of 30-day month (50% through period)
• Spent: $250 (42% of budget)
• Status: Ahead of pace (spending less than expected at this point)

Period-Based Reporting

Budget History

View past periods to see:

• How much you spent in previous months/quarters/years
• Whether you stayed within budget
• Trends over time

Comparing Periods

Compare spending across periods:

• This month vs. last month
• This quarter vs. same quarter last year
• Year-to-date vs. previous year

Special Considerations

Yearly Budgets and Cash Flow

Yearly budgets track over 12 months, but the Cash Flow report shows monthly spending. Curl Budget handles this by:

• Showing actual monthly spending in Cash Flow
• Tracking cumulative progress against yearly budget
• Calculating appropriate daily allowance for remaining year

Quarterly Budgets and Months

A quarterly budget spans 3 months. Within the quarter:

• All spending counts toward the single quarterly limit
• No monthly sub-limits
• Daily allowance adjusts as months pass

Leap Years

Yearly budgets account for leap years:

• 366 days instead of 365
• Daily allowance slightly lower in leap years
• Same total budget limit

Tips for Period Selection

Start with Monthly

If unsure, start with monthly budgets. They're:

• Easier to track
• Faster feedback on spending habits
• Simpler to adjust

Move to Longer Periods When Needed

Switch to quarterly or yearly when:

• Monthly budgets feel too restrictive for variable expenses
• You want to smooth out spending spikes
• The expense doesn't occur monthly

Mix and Match

Different categories can have different periods:

• Groceries: Monthly
• Clothing: Quarterly
• Vacation: Yearly

This matches how you naturally think about each expense.

Related Features

• Creating Budgets - Set up your budgets
• Budget Alerts - Get notified at period milestones
• Implied Budgets - Period scaling with filters
• Cash Flow Report - See spending over time