Budget Reports and Insights

Understanding Your Budget Reports

Our reporting tools help you visualize spending and make informed decisions.

Dashboard Overview

Your budget dashboard shows key metrics:

Total Budget

Your set budget amount — the ceiling for all expenses.

Expected Cost

Sum of all final costs (or quoted costs if no final set). This is what you anticipate spending.

Confirmed

Total of items marked as booked/confirmed. These are locked-in expenses.

Paid

Amount you've actually paid so far across all items.

Remaining

Budget minus expected costs. Shows how much flexibility you have.

Category Breakdown

See spending by category:

1. Go to Budget > Reports
2. View the category pie chart
3. See percentage of budget per category
4. Compare to typical wedding allocations

Healthy budget signs:

• No single category over 50%
• Contingency fund intact
• Categories align with priorities

Warning signs:

• One category dominating (venue over 50%)
• No remaining budget buffer
• Expected exceeding total budget

Spending Timeline

Track spending over time:

1. View the timeline chart
2. See cumulative spending by month
3. Identify payment spikes (deposit months)
4. Plan cash flow accordingly

This helps you:

• Anticipate expensive months
• Avoid cash crunches
• Spread payments when possible

Comparing Scenarios

If you've created multiple scenarios:

1. Go to Budget > Compare
2. Select scenarios to compare
3. See side-by-side:

- Total costs

- Category breakdowns

- What's different between them

Use this to:

• Show family members different options
• Decide between splurging and saving
• Plan for best/worst case budgets

Payment Schedule View

See all upcoming payments:

1. Go to Budget > Payments
2. View payments by due date
3. See:

- Vendor name

- Amount due

- Due date

- Days until due

Export this to:

• Set calendar reminders
• Plan monthly cash needs
• Ensure nothing is missed

Exporting Reports

Share reports with stakeholders:

PDF Report

• Professional summary
• Charts and graphs
• Category breakdown
• Good for family contributors

CSV Export

• Raw data
• All line items
• Importable to Excel
• Good for detailed analysis

How to export:

1. Go to Budget > Reports
2. Click Export
3. Choose format
4. Download file

Budget Health Indicators

We show warning indicators:

Green (Healthy)

• Under budget
• All payments on track
• Healthy contingency

Yellow (Caution)

• Approaching budget limit
• Some payments overdue
• Contingency being used

Red (Warning)

• Over budget
• Multiple late payments
• No contingency left

Using Insights

If you're over budget:

1. Review largest categories for cuts
2. Look for items still at "researching" status
3. Consider DIY alternatives
4. Revisit vendor negotiations
5. Adjust scope (fewer guests, shorter bar)

If you're under budget:

1. Keep the savings as contingency
2. Upgrade priority items
3. Add nice-to-haves you cut earlier
4. Boost honeymoon budget
5. Save for post-wedding expenses

Pro Tip: Review your budget reports every Sunday evening. A weekly check-in keeps you on track without becoming obsessive.