Start your budget month on payday
For many people the month does not start on the 1st. It starts when the pay arrives. SimpleSpend lets you set a month start day for each ledger, such as the 15th, so this month in budgets and statistics runs from the 15th to the 14th of next month.
Why the 1st does not fit
Your pay arrives on the 15th and rent leaves on the 16th. By calendar month, the first half is paid from last month’s salary and the new pay lands in a month that is almost over. The budget always looks loose early and tight late, and you never see whether one paycheck covers one month.
Move the start of the month to payday and each paycheck gets one period: money in, rent and bills out, and what is left, all in the same view.
What changes when you set it
Monthly budgets count usage against the new period. This month and last month in statistics switch to the new boundaries, and the logging-habit grid marks where each period starts.
Changing the start day does not touch any record. It only changes how months are cut. You can switch back to the 1st anytime.
If you choose the 29th, 30th, or 31st, a month without that day starts its period on the 1st of the next month. If you are paid on the last day of the month, the default 1st is usually simpler.
Each ledger can differ
The month start day belongs to a ledger, not to the whole app. Keep everyday spending on the 15th and a travel or project ledger on the 1st.
Shared ledgers are the exception for now: a start day set on a shared ledger only applies on the device where it was set, and other members still see calendar months.
Set a month start day in SimpleSpend
- In the ledger list, open the ledger and edit it.
- Find Month Start Day and choose your payday, such as 15.
- Confirm. Existing records stay as they are; months are simply cut at the new day.
- Open statistics or budgets and check that this month starts on the 15th.
Common questions
Will changing the month start day change my old records?
No. Dates and amounts stay the same. Budgets and statistics just divide months at the new day.
Is the month start day a Pro feature?
No. It is free, and each ledger can have its own.
I am paid weekly. What should I do?
Statistics can show a week or a custom range. Monthly budgets still count by month, so set the start day closest to your pay.