Most budgeting tools are good at one thing: showing you what went wrong. Go over budget on groceries and all you get is a red number. Nothing to do but watch it and wait for the month to reset.

CashPad isn't a scorecard. It's a plan — one you can adjust on the spot. If Left to Assign goes negative, the plan doesn't add up. The fix is right there: rebalance your Expenses and Savings until the number comes back to zero. No guilt, no waiting, no starting over.

A few things that set it apart:

• Your budget period follows your paycheck, not the calendar. Each period runs from today through the end of your pay cycle. You're always working with money you actually have.
• One number tells you where you stand. Left to Assign combines your cash, your bills, and your spending into a single number. Get it to zero and every dollar has a job.
• Your data never leaves your device. No account, no server, no subscription. CashPad runs entirely in your browser — nothing is stored anywhere but here.
• It starts with real numbers. No estimates, no projections. What's in your accounts plus what you know is coming in — that's it.

If you've ever wondered whether you have enough to cover everything before payday, CashPad gives you a clear answer. Right now.

Most budgeting apps reset on the 1st of the month. CashPad resets when your paycheck does. Each budget period runs from today through the end of your current pay cycle — so your plan always reflects the money you actually have right now.

Start by entering your cash balances and any paychecks you expect before the period ends. CashPad adds them up into a single Funds Available number.

Then assign those funds across three buckets:

• Bills — fixed obligations due this period (rent, insurance, subscriptions)
• Expenses — variable spending you plan to make (groceries, gas, dining)
• Savings — amounts you want to set aside for future goals

The total assigned becomes your Planned Spending. The difference between what you have and what you've planned is Left to Assign.

Get Left to Assign to zero and you're done — every dollar has a job. The Dashboard shows all four numbers at a glance: Budget Period End, Funds Available, Planned Spending, and Left to Assign.

Each time you use CashPad, do these two things:

• Update your balances on the Cash and Paycheck pages.
• Assign your funds across the Bills, Expenses, and Savings pages until Left to Assign reaches zero.

Keep it light on personal details. CashPad is built around amounts and account names — not account numbers, passwords, or sensitive identifiers. Nicknames like "Checking" or "Car Fund" work great and keep things clean. There's no need to enter anything more specific than that.

Sharing your budget is always your choice. CashPad data lives only on your device — nothing is shared via a link or account. If you want someone else to see your budget, you can export a backup file and send it to them directly. Working through your numbers with a trusted partner or financial advisor is always an option.

Keep your numbers current. CashPad doesn't sync with your bank or update automatically. The accuracy of your plan depends on keeping your Cash balances and Pay Dates up to date. A stale balance leads to a misleading picture.

Back up your data regularly. CashPad stores your data locally in your browser — it isn't automatically synced to the cloud. Use the Backup button at the top of the page to save a copy as a file, and store it somewhere safe like iCloud Drive or Dropbox. To restore, use the Restore button and select your saved file.

How do I get started?

Begin on the Cash page — enter your current account balances. Then go to the Paycheck page and confirm your income sources and next pay date. From there, fill in your Bills, Expenses, and Savings to build your spending plan. The Dashboard updates as you go.

What is the Budget Period, and how long does it last?

The budget period runs from today through the last day of your current pay cycle — 7 days for weekly pay, 14 days for bi-weekly. CashPad calculates the end date automatically from your Next Pay Date and pay interval. The end date is shown on the Dashboard as Budget Period End.

What's the difference between Bills and Expenses?

Bills are fixed obligations with a specific due date — rent, insurance, a car payment. Expenses are flexible, day-to-day spending — groceries, gas, dining out. If it has a due date and a set amount, it's a Bill. If it's variable spending, it's an Expense.

What is Typical Cost, and what is the suggested amount on the Expenses page?

Typical Cost is what you normally spend on something in a full month. CashPad uses it to calculate a suggested Planned Cost for the current period — scaled to how many days are left. For example, if you typically spend $400/month on groceries and there are 15 days left in the period, the suggested amount is $200. Click use next to the suggestion to apply it in one click.

What does Left to Assign mean?

It's the difference between your Funds Available and your Planned Spending. Positive means you have unassigned cash — consider putting it toward Savings. Negative means your plan exceeds what you have — reduce an Expense or Savings allocation until it's back to zero.

Why does my Cash balance show an "as of" date?

CashPad can't connect to your bank, so your balance is only as current as the last time you updated it. The as-of date tells you how fresh the number is.

When should I update my Next Pay Date?

When your paycheck arrives, go to the Paycheck page and update your Next Pay Date. CashPad will immediately recalculate the Budget Period End and your Funds Available — then rebalance as needed from there.

Can I add multiple bank accounts or income sources?

Yes. The Cash page supports multiple accounts — add each one separately and CashPad will sum them into your total Funds Available. The Paycheck page supports multiple income sources as well.

CashPad stores all your data locally in your browser. It is never sent to a server or synced to the cloud. That means your data is only as safe as your device — if your browser data is cleared, or you switch to a new computer, your CashPad data goes with it unless you have a backup.

How to back up

Click the Backup button at the top of the page. Your browser will download a file named something like cashpad-backup-2026-03-26-1430.sqlite to your Downloads folder. Move this file somewhere safe — iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or an external drive are all good options. You can make as many backups as you like.

How to restore

Click the Restore button at the top of the page. A file picker will open — navigate to your backup file and select it. CashPad will ask you to confirm, then load the backup. This replaces all current data, so if you want to keep what you have, make a fresh Backup first.

How often should I back up?

Any time you make significant changes — after adding a new bill, updating your balances, or starting a new budget period. A good habit is to back up each time you sit down to review your budget.

Can I use a backup to move to a new device?

Yes. Back up on your old device, move the file to the new device (email it to yourself, use iCloud Drive or Dropbox, etc.), then open CashPad on the new device and use Restore to load it.

Have a question or comment? Email us at cashpadbudget@gmail.com — we'd love to hear from you.