Setting up your budget creates the financial baseline for your event โ the estimated expenses and income that all actual figures will be measured against. Complete this early in the planning phase so you have guardrails before any spending begins.
๐ธ Screenshot placeholder: Budget Plan page showing Expense Estimate, Income Estimate, and All Estimate tabs with the Currency dropdown visible top-right โ 1200ร500px
You need:
In the left sidebar, go to Budget Planner โ Budget Plan. You will land on the Budget Plan page with three tabs: Expense Estimate, Income Estimate, and All Estimate.
๐ธ Screenshot placeholder: Budget Plan page with three tabs visible and an empty expense table โ 1200ร400px
Click the Currency dropdown in the top-right corner. Select the currency your event will primarily operate in.
โ ๏ธ Set this before entering any amounts. Changing the currency later only updates the display label โ existing numeric values are not converted. A budget set in USD that is switched to EUR will show the same numbers in EUR, which will be incorrect.
๐ธ Screenshot placeholder: Currency dropdown open showing available currency options โ 400ร300px
Open the Expense Estimate tab. Click Add a New Category to create your first expense group. Enter a category name (e.g. "Venue"), add a planned amount, and click Save.
Repeat for each area of spend. For detailed tracking, add subcategories within each category (e.g. "Room Rental", "AV Equipment" under "Venue").
๐ธ Screenshot placeholder: Expense Estimate tab with two categories added โ Venue and Catering โ showing planned amounts and the Add a New Category button at the bottom โ 1100ร380px
Open the Income Estimate tab. Click + Add New Row and enter your projected revenue sources (e.g. "Ticket Sales", "Sponsorship").
Note: Income estimates are for internal planning reference only. They are not calculated against actual transactions in the Transactions section.
๐ธ Screenshot placeholder: Income Estimate tab with two income rows added โ 1100ร280px
Open the All Estimate tab to see a combined view of all expense and income estimates. Confirm the structure and totals look correct before the event begins.
๐ธ Screenshot placeholder: All Estimate tab showing both expense and income sections with totals โ 1100ร450px
Click Save on the Budget Plan page. Your estimates are now active โ all actual transactions recorded in the Transactions section will be measured against these figures.
Q: Can I change the currency after I've already entered budget data?
A: You can change it, but existing amounts will not be converted โ only the currency label changes. Correct each existing entry manually after switching. To avoid this, always set the currency at the start before entering any amounts.
Q: Can I have more than one budget per event?
A: No. Each event has one budget. Use categories and subcategories to separate different areas of spend within it.
Q: Can I edit estimates after the event has started?
A: Yes. Estimates can be updated at any time. Changes apply immediately and the variance on the dashboard recalculates automatically.
Q: Should I add a buffer to my expense estimates?
A: Yes. Adding a buffer (typically 10โ15%) to expense estimates helps absorb unexpected costs without showing immediate overrun on the dashboard.