Manual Transactions

Manual Transactions

Not all spending syncs automatically. Cash purchases, checks, and some payment methods need to be entered manually. Curl Budget makes it easy to add these transactions so you have a complete picture of your finances.

When to Add Manual Transactions

Cash Purchases

When you pay with cash:

• Farmer's market purchases
• Cash tips
• Vending machines
• Small vendors

Checks

When you write a check:

• Before it clears (if you want immediate tracking)
• For checks that don't sync properly

Unsupported Payment Methods

Transactions that don't sync:

• Some store credit cards
• Gift card purchases
• Cryptocurrency spending
• International payment apps

Manual Accounts

If you have a manual account, all its transactions are entered manually.

Adding a Transaction

Step by Step

1. Tap the "+" button
2. Enter the amount:
   • Negative for expenses (e.g., -$25)
   • Positive for income (e.g., $50)
3. Enter the merchant or description
4. Select the date (defaults to today)
5. Choose a category
6. Select the account
7. Add tags (optional)
8. Add notes (optional)
9. Tap "Save"

Quick Add

For fast entry:

1. Tap "+"
2. Enter amount and merchant
3. Save with defaults

You can edit details later if needed.

Transaction Details

Amount

Enter the transaction amount:

• Use negative for money out (expenses)
• Use positive for money in (income)
• Enter exact amount including cents

Examples:

• Coffee: -$4.50
• Cash gift received: $50.00
• Parking meter: -$2.00

Merchant/Description

Enter who you paid or who paid you:

• Business name
• Person's name
• Description of expense

This helps with categorization and searching later.

Date

Select when the transaction occurred:

• Defaults to today
• Tap to choose a different date
• Useful for recording past cash purchases

Category

Assign a category:

• Select from your category list
• Categories help with budgeting and reports
• AI may suggest based on description

Account

Select which account to associate:

• For cash: use a "Cash" manual account
• For checks: use your checking account
• Match to where the money came from

Tags

Add tags for extra context:

• Project tags
• Shared expense tags
• Any custom organization

Notes

Add personal notes:

• Reason for purchase
• Who you were with
• Reference information

Common Scenarios

Cash Spending

When you spend cash:

1. Note the purchase mentally
2. Open Curl Budget when convenient
3. Add as a manual transaction
4. Use your "Cash" account (create one if needed)

Tip: Add transactions soon so you don't forget amounts.

ATM Withdrawal

When you get cash:

• The ATM withdrawal syncs automatically
• The cash spending is what you track manually
• Consider creating a Cash account that starts with $0

Example workflow:

1. ATM withdrawal shows as -$100 from Checking
2. Create a +$100 transfer to Cash account (or just track cash spending)
3. Add manual transactions as you spend cash

Check Payments

When you write a check:

• Add manually if you want immediate tracking
• Or wait for it to sync when deposited
• Match with the synced transaction later if needed

Cash Received

When you receive cash:

• Enter as positive amount
• Choose appropriate income category
• Use Cash account or deposit account

Tips for Manual Entry

Enter Promptly

The sooner you enter, the more accurate:

• Record while you remember the amount
• Note purchases throughout the day
• Review receipts in evening

Use Consistent Merchants

Name merchants consistently:

• "Farmer's Market" not "farmers mkt" or "fm"
• Helps with reports and auto-rules later
• AI learns from your patterns

Round if Needed

For small cash purchases:

• It's okay to estimate
• $2 for parking vs. $1.75 isn't critical
• Accuracy matters more for large amounts

Batch Entry

If you accumulate receipts:

• Sit down once and enter several
• Take photos of receipts as reference
• Enter before discarding receipts

Create a Cash Account

For regular cash tracking:

1. Create a manual account called "Cash"
2. Set starting balance (what's in your wallet)
3. Add manual transactions as you spend
4. Add deposits when you get cash

Editing Manual Transactions

Making Changes

You can edit any manual transaction:

1. Tap the transaction
2. Modify any field
3. Save changes

Deleting

Remove incorrect entries:

1. Tap the transaction
2. Scroll to bottom
3. Tap "Delete Transaction"
4. Confirm

Comparing to Synced

Manual transactions have different characteristics:

• You can edit all fields (synced transactions have some locked fields)
• No bank reference data
• Show as manual entry type

Manual vs. Synced

Aspect	Manual	Synced
Entry	You enter	Automatic
Bank data	None	Full
Edit flexibility	Full	Limited
Time accuracy	As you enter	Bank's timestamp
Effort	Higher	Lower

Both count equally for:

• Budgets
• Reports
• Categories and tags
• Totals

Related Features

• Manual Accounts - Accounts for manual tracking
• Categories - Classifying transactions
• Tags - Additional organization
• Viewing Transactions - Working with all transactions