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 Unassigned Cash.

Get Unassigned Cash 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 Unassigned Cash.

Each time you use CashPad, do these two things:

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

Set up your backup folder before you do anything else. CashPad stores your data locally in your browser. There's no automatic cloud sync — nothing backs up unless you set it up — and if your browser data is cleared, it's gone.

The safest setup: go to Backup / Recovery and configure a backup folder on any cloud-synced drive — iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive all work, but any service that syncs a local folder to the cloud will do. CashPad will back up automatically every time you save. Takes less than a minute.

If you're not ready to do that yet, use Backup Now in Backup / Recovery to save a copy manually before you start entering data. Get in the habit of doing this often — especially after making major changes.

Using CashPad on iPhone or iPad? Folder backups and automatic backup downloads are not available on iOS or iPadOS — Apple requires all browsers (including Chrome) to use its own engine, which doesn't support these features. The app itself works fine, but you'll need to back up manually and manage files through the iOS share sheet. For the best backup experience, use CashPad on a Mac or PC (Chrome or Edge).

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 up to date. A stale balance leads to a misleading picture.

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.

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 anchor 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. The length depends on your pay interval: 7 days for weekly, 14 days for bi-weekly, 15 days for semi-monthly, or one month for monthly. CashPad calculates the end date automatically from your anchor 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 Unassigned Cash 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.

Do I need to update anything after each paycheck?

No — CashPad computes your next pay date automatically from your anchor date and pay interval. You only need to update the anchor date if your pay schedule changes (e.g., your employer switches from weekly to bi-weekly). Otherwise, your next pay date and budget period stay current on their own.

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.

What is the Anchor Date on a recurring bill?

The Anchor Date is the reference date CashPad uses to calculate when a recurring bill is next due. For monthly bills, it pins the day of month — so an anchor of the 15th means the bill is always due on the 15th. For weekly bills, it pins the day of week. CashPad counts forward from the anchor to find the next upcoming due date within your budget period. You only need to change the anchor if a bill's base schedule shifts permanently — for example, if your rent due date moves from the 1st to the 5th.

What does Mark Paid do, and how does CashPad calculate Next Due?

Mark Paid records that you've paid the bill for this cycle. CashPad sets Next Due to one interval from today — so a monthly bill paid on the 3rd shows as due on the 3rd next month.

Next Due without Mark Paid is calculated from your Anchor Date. CashPad counts forward by your bill's interval until it lands on a date that's today or later. As long as you're paying on time, both methods produce the same result.

The difference matters when you're behind. If you miss a payment and don't press Mark Paid, Next Due stays in the past. Pressing Mark Paid resets the clock from today so the bill shows the correct upcoming date.

What's with the green shaded dates on the Bill Calendar?

The green shading is a visual indicator of your current Budget Period — the span of days from today through your Budget Period End date. Bills with a due date inside that window are the ones that affect your current plan. Dates outside the shaded range are either in the past or belong to a future pay cycle.

What is Savings Goals?

Savings Goals (under the Reports dropdown) is a status view of every savings fund you've set a goal on — a target amount and date, entered on the fund itself in Savings. Each fund shows as a card with a progress bar and a status: On Track, Behind (you're saving slower than the plan needs), Met, or Expired. Funds needing attention sort to the top.

What does "Requires manual scheduling" mean on a bill?

Most bills are on autopay — nothing to do but track them. Some aren't: you have to log into the biller's site and schedule the payment yourself each period. Check Requires manual scheduling on a bill and CashPad flags it as Manual on its detail panel, then reminds you on the Alerts page when that bill is coming due and hasn't been scheduled yet. Click Mark Scheduled once you've set it up with the biller, and the reminder clears until next period.

CashPad keeps all data strictly on your local browser storage—it never transmits your information to external servers or remote cloud databases.

Manual Backup

Navigate to Backup / Recovery and select Backup Now to export a .sqlite data file. If you configured a backup folder, CashPad saves the file directly there; otherwise, your browser saves it to your primary Downloads folder.

Automatic Backup (Recommended)

Designate a backup location under Backup / Recovery, and CashPad will save a fresh file every time you make changes. Select a folder synced to a cloud service (such as iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive) to maintain off-device protection.

Restoring a Backup

Go to Backup / Recovery and select Restore from File, then choose your saved .sqlite file. If you have a backup folder configured, you can instead restore directly from an entry in Backup History—no need to locate the file yourself. Restoring overwrites all existing app data—select Backup Now beforehand if you want to preserve your current workspace.

Cleaning Up Old Backups

If your backup folder accumulates too many files, go to Backup / Recovery → Backup History and select Clean Up Old Backups… to preview and delete files older than a retention threshold you choose. Nothing is deleted until you confirm. Requires a backup folder and is available on desktop browsers only (Chrome or Edge on Mac or PC).

How Often Should I Back Up?

With a backup folder configured, CashPad backs up automatically on every change—no action needed. Without one, back up manually after significant changes: adding a bill, updating balances, or starting a new budget period.

Moving to a New Device

Select Backup Now on your old device, transfer the exported file to your new hardware, and use Restore from File to load your data.

Email questions or comments to support@cashpadapp.com—we would love to hear from you.