Add Transaction Calendar Backups Help
Help Topics
Getting Started Overview Dashboard Transactions Import Guide Income Budgets Bills/Accounts Payable Runway Financial Goals Categories Tag Management Reminders Calendar Reconcile AI Insights Calculators Financial Health Accounting Dashboard Backup Management

Getting Started

Welcome to SenticMoney!

This guide walks you through setting up your account step by step. Follow these steps in order — each one builds on the last.

Exploring with sample data? When you're ready to start fresh with your own finances, open the Manage dropdown in the nav bar and click Reset Application. This removes all financial data but keeps your account and license.
Your AI Setup Assistant — The SenticMoney Genie

You don't have to do this alone. The SenticMoney Genie can guide you through the entire setup process, step by step.

Look for the gold robot icon () in the bottom-right corner of any page. Click it to open the Genie, then try:

  • "Help me get started" — The Genie checks your progress and tells you what to do next
  • "What should I set up next?" — Get a personalized recommendation
  • "How do I import a bank statement?" — Ask about any step and get a walkthrough

You can also click the Setup Guide compass button () in the chatbot header at any time for a guided walkthrough.

Privacy: Your financial data stays on your computer. The Genie only sees a brief summary — never raw transactions, account numbers, or personal details.

Phase 1 Foundation

Set up the basics that everything else depends on.

Step 1 Set Up Your Profile

Secure your account and set up password recovery.

  1. Click your username in the top-left corner
  2. Select Profile
  3. Click Edit Profile and update:
    • Name — your display name
    • Email — required for password recovery if you forget your password
  4. Click Change Password to set a secure password (replace the default)
  5. Save your changes
Important: If you skip this step and forget your password, there is no way to recover your account. Update your email now.
Step 2 Add Income Sources

Income is the foundation of your financial plan. Without it, budgets, bills, and Runway can't calculate properly.

  1. Click Income in the nav bar
  2. Click Add Income Source
  3. Enter your income details:
    • Name — e.g., "Salary", "Social Security", "Freelance"
    • Amount — your regular payment amount
    • Frequency — how often you're paid (monthly, biweekly, etc.)
    • Payment schedule — when you get paid (1st of month, every other Friday, etc.)
  4. Repeat for each income source
Tip: The payment frequency and schedule are used by Runway to know when money arrives during each planning period. Get these right for accurate cash flow planning.
Step 3 Set Up Categories

Categories organize your transactions into meaningful groups. They must exist before you import transactions so items have somewhere to land.

  1. Click Categories in the nav bar
  2. Review the default categories and add any you need for your spending patterns
  3. You can create subcategories for more detail (e.g., "Fuel" and "Maintenance" under "Transportation")
Tip: Start with 10-12 categories that cover your main spending areas. You can always add more later. If you open the Genie and paste some bank transaction descriptions, it can suggest categories based on your actual spending.

Phase 2 Import & Organize

Get your transaction history into the app and organize it.

Step 4 Import Your First Bank Statement

Import one month of transactions to start. You can import more history later.

  1. Download a statement from your bank (CSV, OFX, Excel, or PDF format)
  2. Click Transactions in the nav bar, then click the Import button
  3. Select your bank from the preset dropdown (if available) or let the system detect your file format
  4. Choose a Default Category for unmatched transactions (usually "Uncategorized")
  5. Preview the import and confirm
Tip: Start with just one month. This lets you set up category mappings (next step) before importing your full history. Future imports will auto-categorize using your mappings.
Step 5 Create Category Mappings

After importing, many transactions will be "Uncategorized." Fix them and create mappings so future imports are automatic.

Quick Method (recommended):
  1. Go to Transactions and filter by "Uncategorized"
  2. Click any transaction to open Edit Transaction
  3. Select the correct category from the dropdown
  4. Check the teal "Create category mapping for future imports" checkbox
  5. Trim the description keyword to the shortest unique merchant name (e.g., "COSTCO" not "COSTCO WHOLESALE #483 POS DEBIT")
  6. Click Save
Bulk Method:
  1. Click Categories in the nav bar, then Category Mappings
  2. Use Bulk Add to map many merchants at once — one per line in the format: KEYWORD - Category Name
Result: Next time you import, transactions containing "COSTCO" will automatically be categorized as Groceries. Each bank name variation (WAL MART, WAL-MART, WALMART) needs its own mapping — this is expected, not a bug.

Phase 3 Set Up Planning Tools

Now that you have data, set up the tools that help you plan and stay on track.

Step 6 Create Budgets

Budgets are spending limits for variable categories — things where the amount changes each month.

  1. Click Budgets in the nav bar
  2. Click + Add Budget
  3. Select a category and set a monthly limit based on your actual spending history:
    • Groceries — e.g., $500/month
    • Dining Out — e.g., $200/month
    • Fuel — e.g., $150/month
    • Entertainment — e.g., $100/month
  4. Enable Carry Forward if you want unspent budget to roll to next month
Important: Budgets are for variable spending only. Fixed bills like mortgage or Netflix go on the Bills page (next step). Don't budget a category that's already tracked as a bill — this causes double-counting.
Step 7 Add Bills & Subscriptions

Bills are fixed recurring obligations with predictable amounts and due dates.

  1. Click Bills in the nav bar
  2. Click + Add Account Payable
  3. Add your recurring obligations:
    • Mortgage or rent
    • Car payment, insurance
    • Utilities (if fixed amount)
    • Subscriptions (Netflix, phone, etc.)
  4. Set the billing cycle (monthly, quarterly, yearly) and next payment date
Tip: The Next Payment Date drives the Dashboard's Payment Timeline and overdue alerts. Keep it current. You can use the Private Information field on each bill to store account numbers or login details — this data is stored locally and never shared with AI.
Step 8 Set Up Runway

Runway is your cash flow planning tool — it answers "How much do I have to live on until my next paycheck?"

  1. Click Runway in the nav bar
  2. Click Create First Period
  3. Use the Quick Presets to pick your date range:
    • To Next Payday — auto-detects from your income schedule
    • Bi-weekly — 14 days from today
    • Rest of this month
    • Full next month
  4. Enter your current bank balance as the Starting Balance
  5. Click Create Period
  6. Click Auto-populate to pull in your income, bills, and budgets automatically

Runway calculates your Living Money (what you can actually spend after all obligations) and your Per-Day Rate (a daily spending guide).

The formula: Living Money = Starting Balance + Income − Bills − Budgets − Reserves. The Per-Day Rate divides this by the days remaining, giving you a number to check before every purchase.
Step 9 Set Financial Goals

Goals are savings or debt targets that give your finances direction.

  1. Click Goals in the nav bar
  2. Click Add Goal
  3. Examples:
    • "Build $5,000 emergency fund"
    • "Pay off credit card by December"
    • "Save $2,000 for vacation"
Tip: Start with one achievable goal to build momentum. Goals work best after Steps 1-8 are complete, since realistic targets depend on knowing your income, expenses, and spending patterns.

Phase 4 Ongoing Use

You're set up! Here's how to use the app day-to-day.

Step 10 Your Dashboard

The Dashboard is your financial command center. It shows four summary cards at the top:

  • Current Balance — your bank account balance (click "Reconcile" to verify)
  • Monthly Income — total configured income for the month (click "Manage" to view sources)
  • Monthly Expenses — spending this month, broken down by bills, budgets, and other (click "Details" for breakdown)
  • Available to Spend — your balance minus unpaid bills (click "Details" for the math)

Below the cards:

  • AI Insights — click "Analyze Your Finances" for Category Analysis, Financial Health Assessment, and more
  • Payment Timeline — upcoming bills with due dates, overdue badges, and countdown to next payday

For your most comprehensive spending number, click Runway in the nav bar to see your Living Money and Per-Day Rate.

Step 11 Using the SenticMoney Genie

The AI assistant understands every page in the app. Try asking:

  • "How much did I spend on groceries?"
  • "Am I staying within my budgets?"
  • "What does Living Money mean?"
  • "Why does my dashboard show overdue bills?"
  • "How do I close a Runway period?"

The Genie is read-only — it can analyze your data and guide you to the right buttons, but it cannot make changes to your finances. You always stay in control.

Privacy: Your financial data stays on your computer. When you use the Genie, only a brief summary is sent — never raw transactions, account numbers, or personal details.

Suggested Monthly Routine

  1. Import new statements — Click Transactions in the nav bar, then Import. Your category mappings will auto-categorize most transactions.
  2. Fix uncategorized — Filter transactions by "Uncategorized" and create mappings for any new merchants.
  3. Review budgets — Click Budgets to check progress against your spending limits.
  4. Update bills — Click Bills and mark paid items with the checkmark button, or verify Next Payment Dates are current.
  5. Check Runway — Click Runway to review your Living Money and Per-Day Rate. Close completed periods and create new ones.
  6. Reconcile — Open the Manage dropdown and click Reconcile to verify your app balance matches your bank.
  7. Backup — Click the Backups button in the quick action bar to protect your data.
Need More Help?

Browse the help topics in the sidebar for detailed documentation on each feature. You can also click the icon on any page for contextual help, or open the Genie and ask your question directly.