Plan with budgets

Choose a useful scope

Set budgets for the workspace and categories that the team can influence. Avoid creating overlapping limits that are difficult to interpret.

Use a consistent currency

Review the workspace reporting currency before setting amounts, especially when accounts use multiple currencies.

Start from recent activity

Use a representative period as a baseline, then adjust for planned projects, seasonality, or known one-time expenses.

Review progress regularly

Look at both the amount used and the time remaining in the period. A high percentage early in the period may need attention.

Explain intentional exceptions

Add context when a category exceeds plan for an approved reason so the variance remains understandable later.

Update the next period

Use completed periods to improve future budgets rather than repeatedly changing the current target to match actual spending.