HOB
GoalsAccountsTransactionsUpcomingBudgetCategoriesInvestmentsReportsToolsTips & TricksSettings
Getting Started5 min read

Getting Started with HOB

Welcome to HOB! This guide will walk you through setting up your account and getting started with hands-on budgeting.

Step 1: Add Your Accounts

The first thing you'll want to do is add all of your financial accounts. This gives you a complete picture of your finances from day one. HOB supports:

  • Checking accounts - Your everyday spending account
  • Savings accounts - Emergency fund, vacation savings, etc.
  • Cash - Physical cash you track separately from a bank account
  • Credit cards - Track balances and payments
  • Loans and Lines of Credit - Any other debt you're paying down
  • Investment accounts - 401(k), IRA, brokerage accounts
  • Other Assets - Anything with real value that isn't liquid, like a vehicle

To add an account:

  1. Click Accounts in the navigation bar
  2. Click Add Account
  3. Enter the account name (e.g., "Chase Checking")
  4. Select the account type
  5. Enter the current balance
  6. Click Create Account

📈 Investment Accounts Are Different

For investment accounts (401k, IRA, brokerage), enter the cash balance only. Then add your individual holdings (stocks, ETFs, funds) separately. This lets HOB automatically update your investment values based on current market prices. See the Investment Tracking guide for details.

💼 Running a Business Too?

Every account can be tagged Personal or Business when you edit it. This is what lets HOB keep your business finances in the same app as your personal ones while still giving you clean, separate numbers - reports, totals, and the tools under Tools and Reports can all be filtered to one, the other, or both.

Step 2: Set Up Your Categories

Categories help you organize your spending and income. HOB comes with some default categories, but you'll want to customize them to match your life.

Common expense categories:

  • 🏠 Housing (rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance)
  • 🍔 Food (groceries, dining out)
  • 🚗 Transportation (gas, car payment, maintenance)
  • 🎉 Entertainment (subscriptions, hobbies, fun money)
  • 💳 Debt (credit card payments, loans)

To create a category:

  1. Click Categories in the navigation
  2. Click Add Category
  3. Enter a name (e.g., "Groceries")
  4. Select type (Income or Expense)
  5. Optionally assign to a Category Group
  6. Click Create Category

💼 Business Categories

Like accounts, every category can be tagged Personal or Business. Business categories also have a couple of extra fields worth knowing about, separate from a Category Group:

  • Budget Group - a different grouping used specifically for your budget, not the same thing as a Category Group
  • Schedule Reference - the tax schedule line this category maps to, so the Schedule Reference report can organize everything by tax line automatically once it's set

None of this is required up front - the Data Completeness Audit tool will flag anything left unset later, whenever you're ready to fill it in.

Step 3: Add Your First Transaction

Now let's record a transaction! This is where the "hands-on" part comes in.

To add a transaction:

  1. Click the green + button in the bottom-right corner (or go to Transactions → Add Transaction)
  2. Select the date
  3. Choose the account
  4. Select a category
  5. Choose Income or Expense
  6. Enter the amount
  7. Add a description (optional but helpful!)
  8. Click Add Transaction

✅ Why Manual Entry?

Manually entering transactions keeps you aware of your spending. That $4 coffee? You had to type it in. That impulse purchase? You watched yourself record it. This awareness is what changes behavior!

Step 4: Create Your Budget

Once you have some categories set up, it's time to create your budget.

To create a budget:

  1. Click Budget in the navigation
  2. Select the month you want to budget for
  3. For each category, enter the amount you plan to spend/earn
  4. The goal: make "To Be Budgeted" = $0 (give every dollar a job!)

🎯 Zero-Based Budgeting

Your income minus your budgeted expenses should equal zero. Every dollar gets assigned a purpose - whether it's spending, saving, or investing.

Step 5: Track Throughout the Month

Now that everything is set up, your job is simple:

  • Enter every transaction as it happens (or daily)
  • Check your budget regularly to see how you're doing
  • Adjust as needed - life happens, budgets flex!

Quick Tips for Success

  • 💪 Make it a habit: Enter transactions daily (takes 2 minutes)
  • 📱 Install the PWA: Add HOB to your home screen for quick access
  • 🔄 Use recurring transactions: Automate regular bills
  • 📊 Check reports: See your spending patterns over time
  • 🎯 Be realistic: Your first budget won't be perfect - adjust as you learn

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper? Check out these guides:

Still have questions? Contact support

Back to Knowledge Base