Creating a Budget

User Need

In the Small Metrics architecture, a Budget is a fundamental isolated entity (formerly known as a Space). It is important to understand that this is not a classic “monthly spending limit,” but a permanent, independent workspace where your transactions, categories, and members live.

This feature solves the critical need to strictly separate financial flows. By creating a separate Budget for each life task (e.g., “Family Finances”, “Personal Wallet”, or “Flower Shop”), the user avoids chaos. The data from these worlds never intersects. This allows for crystal-clear analytics (P&L) for different projects in a single app and lets you safely invite other people without fear of data leaks.

Available to all users Any authorized user can create a new Budget. Upon creation, you are automatically assigned as the Owner and permanently receive the highest role — Admin. Only administrators can modify the settings of this budget later.

Where to find it

The creation process is implemented as a convenient step-by-step wizard (accordion). You can access the creation screen in two ways:

• Path A (Automatic): If you are a new user and do not yet have any budgets or invitations, the app will automatically redirect you to this screen immediately after logging in.
• Path B (From the list): In the bottom navigation menu, go to the Money tab -> Budgets screen. Tap the floating Budgets action button (pencil icon) to enter the list editing mode. At the very bottom, tap the wide button with the plus icon and the text Create budget.

Steps: How to create a budget

The form consists of 5 sequential steps. Your draft state is saved automatically. If you want to clear all entered data and start over, tap the Clear draft button at the very bottom of the screen.

1. Step 1: Name. Enter a name for your workspace (e.g., “Family” or “Business”) in the required Budget Name field. Tap the Next button.
2. Step 2: Expense Categories. In the dynamic Category Name list, add your expense items (up to 20). You can change their order. At least one category must be filled out. Tap Next.
3. Step 3: Income Categories. Similarly, fill in the list of income sources (minimum of one category). Tap Next.
4. Step 4: Financial Goal (Optional). If you are saving for something specific, specify the desired amount in the Target Amount field, select the currency in the Currency dropdown, and set a deadline in the Target Date calendar. Tap Next or skip this step with the Skip button.
5. Step 5: Invitations (Optional). If you want to immediately grant access to a partner or family member, enter their email addresses in the dynamic Email address list. Tap Next or Skip.
6. Saving: After completing all steps, the main save button will appear at the very bottom of the screen. Tap Create budget.

Expected Result

Immediately after tapping the Create budget button, a white loading indicator (spinner) will appear on it.

Upon successful creation, a green pop-up notification (Toast) will appear at the top of the screen with the text Budget created successfully!. The creation form will automatically close, and the app will redirect you back to the budgets list dashboard, where your newly created card will instantly appear.

Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

How many Budgets can I create? You can create and participate in an unlimited number of Budgets. There are no system limits on the app’s side; you can create as many workspaces as you need.

Can different budgets overlap in dates? A Budget in Small Metrics is not a time period (like a monthly limit), but a permanent isolated container. Conceptually, they cannot “overlap” in dates, as each Budget exists independently of the others in parallel.

What currency is the Budget created in? The Budget container itself does not have a strictly fixed “base currency.” All internal analytics are dynamically calculated in the default currency selected in your profile. However, if you set a Financial Goal (in Step 4), you can select a specific currency for it.

Can I use emojis in the budget name? Yes. The database fully supports UTF-8 encoding. You can use any emojis, special characters, and alphabets in the name. The maximum name length is 100 characters.

Possible Errors

If inaccuracies occur while filling out the form, the system will prevent you from proceeding to the next step and display errors.

Interface Errors (Client-side Validation):

• Red “Required” text below the name field: Appears in Step 1 if you try to tap Next with an empty name.
• Red “Please fill all fields” text below categories: Occurs in Steps 2 and 3 if you delete the text from all added category fields.
• Red “Required” text at the goal stage: Appears in Step 4 if you enter an amount but forget to select a target date (or vice versa).
• Red Toast “Please enter a valid email”: Pops up at the top of the screen if, in Step 5, you enter text that does not resemble an email format (e.g., missing a domain).

Server Errors (API):

• If the name exceeds the 100-character limit, the API will return: Ensure this field has no more than 100 characters..
• In case of a data format failure for the financial goal, the server might return A valid number is required. (for the amount) or Date has wrong format. Use one of these formats instead: YYYY-MM-DD. (for the date).