The Budget Dashboard gives you a real-time financial snapshot of your event. Check it regularly during the planning and execution phases to spot overruns before they become problems.
How to access: Dashboard → Budget Planner → Budget Dashboard
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Full Budget Dashboard showing the four summary tiles at top, bar chart and pie chart in the middle, and Latest Transactions Summary table at the bottom — 1200×700px
At the top of the dashboard, four tiles show your key financial figures:
| Tile | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Estimated Budget | Total planned expense amount across all categories |
| Actual Cost | Total actual expenses recorded in Transactions |
| Difference | Estimated Budget minus Actual Cost |
| Collection | Total income recorded (for reference) |
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Four summary tiles showing Estimated Budget, Actual Cost, Difference, and Collection with numeric values — 1100×160px
The bar chart compares Estimated (blue) vs Actual (green) amounts for each expense category side by side. Categories where the actual bar exceeds the estimated bar are over budget.
Use this to identify at a glance which areas of spend are on track and which need attention.
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Expense Summary bar chart showing blue (Estimated) and green (Actual) bars per category — 700×340px
The donut pie chart shows how your actual expense spend is distributed across categories. Only categories with at least one recorded actual transaction appear in the chart. The total actual spend is shown in the centre.
Use this to identify where the largest proportions of your budget are going.
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Expense Chart donut pie showing category segments in multiple colours with total spend in the centre — 400×400px
Below the charts, the Latest Transactions Summary table shows your most recent financial entries with: Date, Category, Category Planned Amount, Actual Amount, and Difference (with a directional arrow indicating over or under).
Use the Search by Category field to filter the table. Click View All to go to the full Transactions page.
📸 Screenshot placeholder: Latest Transactions Summary table showing five rows with category, planned amount, actual amount, and difference columns — 1100×280px
Yes. The dashboard recalculates and refreshes automatically whenever new transaction data is saved. You do not need to manually refresh figures.
Q: What does the Difference tile show — is it the same as Remaining Balance?
A: The Difference tile shows Estimated Budget minus Actual Cost — how much of your estimated budget has been spent. It is a variance figure, not a remaining balance. If your actual cost exceeds your estimate, the Difference will show a negative value.
Q: Why doesn't the pie chart show all my categories?
A: The pie chart only shows categories that have at least one recorded actual transaction. Categories with estimates but no actuals yet will not appear in the chart.
Q: Can I click a chart segment to see the transactions behind it?
A: Not directly. Click View All to go to the full Transactions page, then filter by category to see the underlying entries for any specific area.
Q: Why does the Collection tile show zero even though I added income estimates?
A: Income estimates are internal planning figures and are not tracked as actual transactions. The Collection tile reflects recorded income data — not the estimate figures from the Income Estimate tab.
Q: Can I see income data in the charts?
A: The bar chart and pie chart on the dashboard display expense data only. Income estimates are viewable in Budget Plan → Income Estimate tab and in exported reports.
