Reports & Analytics

What are Reports & Analytics?

Reports and analytics in Purpose Budget transform your transaction data into actionable insights. Instead of manually adding up numbers or trying to spot trends in your transaction list, reports visualize your spending patterns, income trends, and budget performance over time. This Premium feature helps you make better financial decisions based on actual data.

Why Use Reports?

• Spot trends: See if spending is increasing or decreasing over time
• Identify problem areas: Find categories where you consistently overspend
• Track progress: Monitor net worth growth and goal achievement
• Make informed decisions: Use data to adjust budget allocations
• Year-end planning: Review annual spending for tax prep or planning
• Share with partners: Visualize finances for household discussions

Available Reports

1. Spending by Category Report

Your most-used report. Shows how much you spent in each budget category over a selected time period.

What it shows:

• Bar chart or pie chart of category spending
• Total spent per category
• Percentage of total spending per category
• Comparison to budgeted amounts (if targets set)

Best used for:

• Understanding where your money goes each month
• Finding categories that consume the most budget
• Identifying unexpected spending patterns
• Year-end spending review

2. Income vs. Expenses Report

Compare total income to total expenses over time to see if you're living within your means.

What it shows:

• Line graph of income and expenses by month
• Net cash flow (income minus expenses)
• Surplus or deficit for each period
• Trend lines showing direction

Best used for:

• Confirming you're not overspending
• Tracking monthly surplus for savings goals
• Identifying seasonal patterns (higher expenses in December, etc.)
• Planning for income changes (job switch, raise, etc.)

3. Net Worth Over Time

Track the growth (or decline) of your total net worth month by month.

What it shows:

• Line graph of net worth (assets minus liabilities)
• Total assets (bank accounts, investments, etc.)
• Total liabilities (credit cards, loans, etc.)
• Month-over-month change

Best used for:

• Measuring long-term financial progress
• Tracking debt paydown success
• Monitoring investment growth
• Setting and achieving wealth-building goals

4. Category Trend Report

Drill into a specific category to see spending patterns over several months.

What it shows:

• Line or bar chart of spending in one category over time
• Monthly average for the category
• Highest and lowest months
• Trend direction (increasing, decreasing, stable)

Best used for:

• Understanding variable expenses (groceries, gas, utilities)
• Spotting seasonal patterns (heating bills in winter)
• Validating budget adjustments (did lowering dining budget work?)
• Proving to yourself you're making progress

5. Budget vs. Actual Report

Compare what you budgeted (allocated to categories) versus what you actually spent.

What it shows:

• Side-by-side comparison of budgeted vs. actual amounts
• Variance (over or under budget)
• Percentage over/under budget
• Visual indicators (green for under, red for over)

Best used for:

• Evaluating budget accuracy
• Finding categories with unrealistic targets
• Identifying where you have control vs. where you don't
• End-of-month budget reviews

Accessing Reports

Reports are available to Premium subscribers in the main navigation:

1. Navigate to Reports: Click "Reports" in the sidebar menu
2. Choose a report type: Select from available reports (Spending by Category, Income vs. Expenses, etc.)
3. Set date range: Choose time period (This Month, Last 3 Months, This Year, Custom)
4. Apply filters (optional): Filter by account, category group, or specific categories
5. View results: See charts, graphs, and data tables
6. Export (optional): Download as CSV or PDF for recordkeeping

Customizing Reports

Date Range Selection

Choose the time period that makes sense for your analysis:

• This Month: See current month performance
• Last Month: Review completed month
• Last 3 Months: Quarterly trends
• Last 6 Months: Half-year patterns
• This Year: Year-to-date totals
• Last Year: Annual review
• Custom Date Range: Pick any start and end date

Filtering Options

Filter by Account:

• Include only specific accounts (just checking, just credit cards)
• Exclude certain accounts from totals
• Useful for separating business from personal spending

Filter by Category Group:

• View only Fixed Expenses, Variable Expenses, or Savings
• Focus on discretionary vs. essential spending
• Isolate debt payments for paydown tracking

Filter by Category:

• Select specific categories to include/exclude
• Compare similar categories (Groceries vs. Dining Out)
• Remove outliers or one-time expenses

Best Practices for Using Reports

Regular Review Schedule

• Monthly: Run Budget vs. Actual at month-end to review performance
• Quarterly: Check Income vs. Expenses and Net Worth trends
• Annually: Full year Spending by Category for tax planning and goal setting
• As needed: Category Trends when adjusting budget allocations

Look for Patterns, Not Perfection

• Focus on trends over several months, not single-month fluctuations
• One high-spending month doesn't mean failure - look at the average
• Seasonal variations are normal (holidays, vacations, tax season)
• Progress is measured in consistent improvement, not perfection

Use Reports to Adjust Budgets

• If consistently under budget, reallocate funds elsewhere
• If consistently over budget, increase allocation or reduce spending
• Identify categories with high variance - these need more attention
• Use actual averages to set realistic future budgets

Common Report Scenarios

Scenario 1: Why is my net worth not growing?

Scenario 2: Where can I cut spending?

Scenario 3: Am I ready to buy a house?

Exporting Reports

Save reports for recordkeeping, sharing, or deeper analysis:

Export Formats

• PDF: Formatted report with charts for printing or sharing
• CSV: Raw data for Excel, Google Sheets, or custom analysis
• PNG/Image: Chart screenshot for presentations or social sharing

When to Export

• Tax time: Annual spending by category for deduction tracking
• Year-end review: Keep PDF of annual reports for comparison next year
• Partner discussions: Share spending reports for household budget meetings
• Loan applications: Show income/expense patterns to lenders
• Financial advisor meetings: Provide comprehensive spending data

Report Limitations & Considerations

Data Quality Matters

Reports are only as accurate as your transaction data:

• Uncategorized transactions won't appear in category reports
• Miscategorized transactions skew results
• Missing transactions create gaps in trends
• Solution: Keep transactions categorized and reconcile regularly

Historical Data Requirement

• Trend reports need 3+ months of data to be meaningful
• Net worth tracking requires account balance history
• New users won't have historical data until transactions accumulate
• Solution: Import historical transactions or wait 2-3 months for patterns

One-Time vs. Recurring Expenses

• Large one-time expenses can skew monthly reports
• Annual bills show as spikes in certain months
• Consider filtering outliers when analyzing typical spending
• Solution: Use longer time periods (quarterly, annually) to smooth fluctuations

Frequently Asked Questions