The Income Tracker

Budgeting guides

By The Income Tracker ยท Updated 16 September 2026

Straightforward guides for tracking your money privately. No open banking, no subscription, no jargon. 19 guides and counting.

Budgeting basics

How to budget without linking your bank accountTrack spending privately from a bank CSV Budgeting as a couple with separate accountsOne picture from two banks, without a shared login Zero-based budgeting, the simple versionGive every pound a job, without the spreadsheet purgatory How to budget on a variable incomeFreelance, shifts, commission: budget on the low month How to fill in an income and expenditure formThe Standard Financial Statement, filled in from real statements How to budget: a beginner's guideTwenty minutes, one bank statement, three numbers

Choosing an app

A free YNAB alternative for the UKYNAB's clarity without the fee

Privacy and safety

Is it safe to upload your bank statement to a budgeting app?What to check before you upload anything Does a budgeting app need your bank login?What 'connect your bank' really means, and the alternative What does open banking share about you?Exactly what a connected app can see, and how to switch it off How to check your bank statement for errors and unknown chargesThe monthly sweep, and your rights when something is wrong

Importing your bank data

How to import a PDF bank statementCopy, paste, done. No converter needed. How to read a bank statement CSVEvery column and code, explained How to categorise bank transactionsA category list that you will actually keep up

Saving money

The 10-minute monthly money reviewA ten-minute routine that keeps the budget alive How to find and cancel unused subscriptionsFind them in your statement, then cancel the right way How much should you save each month?A target you can defend, and the order to save in

Self-employed

Track self-employed income and expenses for Self AssessmentRecords, deadlines and MTD, in plain English Self Assessment countdown: a six-week planSix weeks of small jobs so 31 January is boring

More from the site

Compare budgeting appsHonest side-by-sides, including where we lose Free money calculatorsPayoff, utilisation, savings and more Bank CSV import guidesExport from any UK bank, step by step Budget templatesFree CSV templates that import in one click
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