What you usually spend
When you assign money you need to know what you usually spend. Usually sits next to Assigned, in a column you switch on from Columns, and in the panel of the envelope.
Usually in one sentence
Usually is what you spend in a normal month: the median of the last 12 closed months, without the months far out of the norm, on your share.
Along with the value there is the band: from the 25th to the 75th percentile. If you assign less than the band, the row has a dot saying assigned less than usual; if you assign more, wider than usual.
A worked example with the November numbers
Groceries has a usual of €540.00 and a band from €480.00 to €620.00. In November you assigned €600.00: you are inside the band. At the top of the page you find the total: You usually spend €3,450 a month · you have assigned €3,680.
The usual of a level is calculated on its own series and never by adding up the ones of the rows inside, because the median does not add up. Example: Gas and Electricity have bills in alternate months, 0, 0, 90 and 90, 0, 0. The usual of each is 0, but the series of the group is 90, 0, 90 and its usual is €90.00.
When it is missing
- Fewer than 3 closed months with an expense in that level: the row says that at least 3 closed months are needed.
- Timed groups, like a trip or a goal by a date done once: no usually, the reference is the goal.
- Free account. Usually is in Premium.
- Months far from the norm. A month very far from the others (a move, a wedding) is left out of the calculation automatically when there are at least 6 closed months. The month stays in the data and the panel of the envelope says which one was left out. There is no command to leave one out by hand.
Edge cases
- Only your share. In shared groups what counts is what you spend, never the expense of the whole group.
- Current month. It does not enter the calculation: only closed months count.
- After an import from another budgeting app. The imported history counts, and usually shows from the first day, as long as the categories are matched.
Where to find it in the app
On the computer, open the Budget: Columns switches on the Usually column, and the panel of an envelope shows usually with the band and the last 12 months.