How do I know before I go over my budget?
Set a spending limit for each category, not just one total, and check how much of each is used while the month is still running. A category at 80 percent with half the month left is a warning you can act on. The key is seeing progress during the month, ideally with a nudge before the limit is hit, instead of reading totals after it ends.
Why the month-end review is too late
A month-end total tells you what happened, not what you could have changed. By the time you see that eating out ran well past your plan, the money is gone and the next month starts with the same habits.
Most overspending is not one big purchase. It is many small ones in a few categories - groceries, eating out, transport, subscriptions - that never feel large on the day. A single overall budget hides this, because a quiet category can mask a runaway one until the very end.
What you need is a number per category and a way to see how much of it is used while there is still time to adjust.
How to set budgets that warn you early
The useful comparison is fill against calendar, not spending against the final total. A budget only protects you if you look at it before the limit is reached.
How Budgets works in Manu
In Manu, you set a budget number per category, per month. As transactions come in, you watch the month fill up, and you get a nudge before the budget fills rather than after it.
A few things make that fill trustworthy:
- One ledger. Every bank account and card sits together, so the fill reflects all your spending, not just one card.
- Categories your way. You can create custom categories and bulk categorize matching transactions, so the numbers land in the right bucket.
- Tap to see why. Spending is shown by category, and you can tap a bar to see the transactions behind it. When a category fills fast, you can see which purchases did it.
- Several ways in. Banks connect through Plaid, through SimpleFIN, or through a bank's own OFX server. You can also import OFX or QFX statement files by hand.
Bank connections sync every six hours, so what you see is as fresh as the last sync.
What to know before you rely on it
- Private beta. Manu is on TestFlight, not the App Store. You request access and get an invite when a seat opens. It needs an iPhone on iOS 26 or later, and it is free while in beta.
- You run the server. Manu connects only to a Vritam server you run, and that server has to be reachable from your phone. Your data lives there, not in a cloud of Manu's.
- Categories decide accuracy. Miscategorized transactions skew the fill, so clean them up with bulk categorize when a budget looks off.
- Missing accounts mean missing spending. Anything spent from an account you have not connected or imported will not show up in the fill.
- It is a tool, not advice. Manu shows your own numbers. It is not investment, tax or financial advice.
Manu is in private beta. One iPhone app for your accounts, investing and a trading bot you run yourself, all against a server you own.
Frequently asked questions
How many categories should I put a budget on?
Start with the few where you tend to overspend, usually three to five. A short list you actually check beats a long one you ignore.
Does Manu work with my bank?
Manu reaches banks through Plaid, SimpleFIN or a bank's own OFX server, and takes OFX or QFX statement files when a bank supports nothing else. Whether a specific bank works depends on what those routes reach.
Where do my budget numbers and transactions live?
On the Vritam server you run. Manu has no cloud or accounts of its own, and the app talks only to your server. Your server address and login are kept in the iOS keychain on your phone.
Can I try Budgets today?
Manu is in private beta. You request access and receive a TestFlight invite when a seat opens, and it is free during the beta. It is not on the App Store yet.