Understanding Safe to Spend

What is Safe to Spend?

Safe to Spend is the amount of money you can spend right now without going over your budget for this pay period. It's the core number that OneBudget is designed around.

Think of it as the answer to: "How much can I spend today without screwing up my finances?"

How It's Calculated

The calculation depends on your budget mode. OneBudget supports three modes:

Income-Based Mode (Default)

Safe to Spend = Income - Bills Due This Period - Already Spent + Rollover

This is the standard calculation for most users:

Start with your income for this pay period
Subtract bills that are due within this period only
Subtract what you've already spent this period
Add or subtract rollover from the previous period

Savings Mode

Safe to Spend = Daily Burn Rate x Days Remaining - Already Spent

If you're living off savings or have irregular income:

Start with your target monthly burn rate divided by days in the period
Multiply by days remaining in the current period
Subtract what you've already spent

Fixed Budget Mode

Safe to Spend = Fixed Budget - Bills Due - Already Spent

For complete manual control:

Start with your fixed monthly budget
Subtract bills due this period
Subtract what you've already spent

Budget Period Types

OneBudget aligns your Safe to Spend with your pay schedule:

Weekly: Resets every week
Biweekly: Resets every two weeks
Semi-monthly: Resets on the 1st and 15th
Monthly: Resets on the 1st of each month
Pay-aligned: Automatically detected from your income deposits

Why It Changes

Your Safe to Spend goes down when you:

Make a purchase
A bill gets paid
A pending transaction clears

It goes up when you:

Receive income (in Income-Based mode)
A transaction gets refunded
Surplus rolls over from the previous period

Example (Income-Based)

Let's say you get paid $2,000 bi-weekly:

Bills due this period: $800
Already spent this period: $150
Rollover from last period: +$50

Your Safe to Spend = $2,000 - $800 - $150 + $50 = $1,100

Effective Budget

You may see "Effective Budget" in the app. This is your base budget adjusted for carryover:

Positive rollover: Effective budget is higher (you underspent last period)
Negative rollover: Effective budget is lower (you overspent last period)

Tips for Using Safe to Spend

Check it before purchases - Especially for anything over $50
Watch the trend - If it's dropping fast, slow down spending
Don't panic at zero - It means you're at budget, not broke
Use it for decisions - "Can I afford this?" becomes easy to answer
Check pending transactions - They're included in Safe to Spend and may change

What if It's Negative?

A negative Safe to Spend means you've overspent your budget for this period. Don't panic - it happens. Options:

Minimize spending until your next paycheck
Check for pending transactions that may settle for less
Use the Recovery Plan feature to get back on track