Family Budgeting

This guide explains how to use Arthalekha for tracking finances across a family or household. Learn how to set up people, track individual spending, and manage shared finances using the Family Mode feature.

Individual vs Family Mode

Arthalekha provides two viewing modes to help manage family finances:

Individual Mode (Default)

When you log in, you're in Individual Mode by default. In this mode:

• You only see your own accounts, transactions, and recurring items
• You can create, edit, and delete your data
• Full access to all features for your personal data

Family Mode

Switch to Family Mode to see a consolidated view of all users' finances. In this mode:

• View accounts, incomes, expenses, transfers, and recurring transactions from all users
• Read-only access - you cannot create, edit, or delete data
• Perfect for monthly family finance reviews and understanding overall household finances

Switching Between Modes

Use the mode toggle button in the navigation bar to switch between Individual and Family modes. The toggle:

• Switches you to the corresponding page in the other mode
• Preserves your context (e.g., switching from individual expenses to family expenses view)
• Redirects to home if the current page doesn't exist in the target mode

tip

Use Individual Mode for daily transaction entry and management. Switch to Family Mode for reviews, analysis, and understanding the complete family financial picture.

Setting Up for Family Use

Step 1: Create Family Members

First, add each person in your household:

1. Navigate to People
2. Create each family member:

Name	Nickname
Rajesh Kumar	Dad
Sunita Kumar	Mom
Arjun Kumar	Arjun
Ananya Kumar	Ananya

Step 2: Set Up Shared Accounts

Decide which accounts are shared vs individual:

Shared Accounts:

• Joint savings account
• Household cash
• Family credit card

Individual Accounts:

• Personal savings accounts
• Personal wallets
• Personal credit cards

Step 3: Create Relevant Tags

Tags help categorize family expenses:

Category Tags:

• Groceries, Utilities, Education, Entertainment, Transport, Medical

Person-Specific Tags (optional):

• Kids-School, Kids-Activities
• Work-Related

Recording Family Transactions

Always Assign a Person

When recording transactions, select who made them:

Example: Grocery Shopping

Description: Weekly Groceries - Big Bazaar
Amount: ₹5,000
Account: Joint Savings
Person: Mom
Tags: Groceries, Food

Example: School Fees

Description: School Fees - March - Arjun
Amount: ₹15,000
Account: Joint Savings
Person: Dad (who paid)
Tags: Education, Kids-School

Handling Truly Shared Expenses

For expenses that aren't attributable to one person:

• Leave Person blank
• Or assign to whoever made the payment
• Note "shared" in description if helpful

Family Income Tracking

Track Who Earns What

Record incomes with the earning person:

Dad's Salary:

Description: March Salary - TCS
Amount: ₹1,00,000
Account: Dad's Salary Account
Person: Dad
Tags: Salary

Mom's Business Income:

Description: March Business Revenue
Amount: ₹40,000
Account: Mom's Account
Person: Mom
Tags: Business, Income

Contributions to Joint Account

When someone contributes to a shared account, use transfers:

Description: Dad's monthly contribution
Amount: ₹50,000
From: Dad's Salary Account
To: Joint Savings
Tags: Family-Contribution

Analyzing Family Finances

Using Family Mode for Analysis

The best way to analyze family finances is through Family Mode:

1. Click the mode toggle in the navigation bar to switch to Family Mode
2. You'll see consolidated data from all users
3. Available views in Family Mode:
   • Accounts - All users' accounts
   • Incomes - All incomes from all users
   • Expenses - All expenses from all users
   • Transfers - All transfers between accounts
   • Projections - Combined projected balance dashboard
   • Recurring - All recurring incomes, expenses, and transfers

Individual Spending

Use filtering to see individual spending:

1. Go to Expenses
2. Filter by Person: "Arjun"
3. Set date range: This month
4. See all of Arjun's expenses

Category Spending by Person

Combine filters:

1. Filter by Person: "Mom"
2. Filter by Tag: "Shopping"
3. See Mom's shopping expenses

Family vs Individual

Compare patterns:

• Filter by person to see individual totals
• Remove person filter to see family totals
• Export and analyze in spreadsheet

Family Budget Strategies

Strategy 1: Pooled Income

All income goes to joint account, expenses from joint:

Accounts:
- Joint Family Account (primary)
- Household Cash

Flow:
Dad's Salary → Joint Account
Mom's Income → Joint Account
All Expenses ← Joint Account

Pros: Simple, truly shared Cons: Less individual accountability

Strategy 2: Contribution-Based

Each earner contributes a fixed amount to shared expenses:

Accounts:
- Dad's Account
- Mom's Account
- Joint Household Account

Flow:
Dad's Salary → Dad's Account
Dad transfers ₹40,000 → Joint Account
Mom's Income → Mom's Account
Mom transfers ₹30,000 → Joint Account
Household Expenses ← Joint Account
Personal Expenses ← Individual Accounts

Pros: Individual freedom + shared responsibilities Cons: More accounts to manage

Strategy 3: Percentage-Based

Contribute proportionally to income:

Example: Dad earns 60%, Mom earns 40%
Joint expenses: ₹50,000

Dad contributes: ₹30,000 (60%)
Mom contributes: ₹20,000 (40%)

Tracking Children's Expenses

Education Expenses

Track school-related costs:

Tags: Education, School-Fees
Tags: Education, Books-Supplies
Tags: Education, Tuition

Examples:

• "School Fees - Term 1 - Arjun"
• "School Books - New Session - Ananya"
• "Tuition Classes - March - Arjun"

Allowances and Pocket Money

If children get regular allowances:

Set up as Recurring Expense:

Description: Weekly Pocket Money - Arjun
Amount: ₹500
Frequency: Weekly
Tags: Kids, Allowance

Activities and Hobbies

Track extracurricular expenses:

Tags: Kids-Activities, Sports
Tags: Kids-Activities, Music
Tags: Kids-Activities, Art

Monthly Family Review

Review Meeting Agenda

Hold a monthly family finance review using Family Mode:

1. Switch to Family Mode

   • Click the mode toggle in the navigation bar
   • All views will now show consolidated data from all users

2. Income Summary

   • Go to Family Incomes view
   • Filter by this month
   • See total income from all users and individual contributions

3. Expense Summary

   • Go to Family Expenses view
   • Review total expenses from all users
   • Expenses by category and by person

4. Budget vs Actual

   • Compare to targets
   • Identify overspending areas

5. Upcoming Month

   • Go to Family Projections view
   • Check projected balances for all accounts
   • Plan for large expenses
   • Switch back to Individual Mode to make adjustments

Export for Discussion

Export filtered data to share during the meeting:

• This month's expenses by category
• Each person's spending summary
• Income vs expense comparison

Common Family Scenarios

Scenario: Single Income Family

Setup:
- Working parent's salary account
- Joint household account
- Cash wallet for daily expenses

Flow:
Salary → Salary Account
Monthly transfer → Joint Account (bills)
Weekly transfer → Cash (daily expenses)
All expenses tracked with tags

Scenario: Dual Income Family

Setup:
- Person A's account
- Person B's account
- Joint account
- Household cash

Flow:
Each salary → Individual accounts
Agreed contribution → Joint account
Joint account → Bills and large expenses
Individual accounts → Personal expenses

Scenario: Extended Family

For larger households:

People:
- Grandparents
- Parents
- Children

Accounts:
- Main household account
- Individual accounts as needed

Tags for clarity:
- Elder-Care (medical, etc.)
- Kids-Expenses
- Household-General

Tips for Family Success

Use Both Modes Effectively

Leverage Individual and Family modes appropriately:

• Individual Mode for daily entries and personal management
• Family Mode for reviews and consolidated analysis
• Each family member manages their own data in Individual Mode
• Use Family Mode together during monthly reviews

Agree on Categories

Discuss and agree on tag categories:

• What counts as "Essential" vs "Optional"?
• How to categorize gifts?
• What about personal vs family expenses?

Set Spending Guidelines

Establish family spending rules:

• Purchases over ₹X need discussion
• Monthly budget limits by category
• Personal spending allowances

Regular Communication

Keep finances transparent:

• Share access to Arthalekha
• Regular review meetings using Family Mode
• No financial surprises

Respect Privacy

Balance tracking with privacy:

• Focus on categories, not every small purchase
• Trust each other
• Use tracking to improve, not criticize
• Remember: Family Mode is read-only, each person controls their own data

Reporting for Family

Monthly Report Format

Generate a monthly family financial report:

Summary:

• Total Income: ₹X
• Total Expenses: ₹Y
• Savings: ₹Z

By Category:

Category	Amount	% of Total
Groceries	₹15,000	20%
Utilities	₹5,000	7%
Education	₹20,000	27%
...	...	...

By Person:

Person	Expenses	Income
Dad	₹25,000	₹1,00,000
Mom	₹30,000	₹40,000
...	...	...

Next Steps

After setting up family budgeting:

• Analyze spending patterns
• Check projected balance for the family
• Export data for detailed analysis