Estimated vs Actual
Connected to the same project, people, permissions, and AI context.
Finance
Project and Household Budget Tracker
Set a budget for a project, trip or repair, then track each item's estimated cost against what you actually paid.
Unified Organization & Productivity
Vendors and Receipts
Connected to the same project, people, permissions, and AI context.
Multi-Budget Projects
Connected to the same project, people, permissions, and AI context.
CRM-Linked Budgets
Connected to the same project, people, permissions, and AI context.
Atty does not create or edit budgets. You keep them in the Budgets app, and a budget linked to a customer also shows on that customer's record.
Connected to the same project, people, permissions, and AI context.
Working guide
A project budget tracker sets an estimated cost for each line of a job, then records what has actually been paid, including partial payments. The Budgets app keeps one project, trip or repair in its own budget, with a receipt attached to a line where you have one. Its amounts are formatted in US dollars, and it does not connect to a bank account or track income.
What people search
Project budget tracker: 90 average monthly searches.Google Ads Keyword Planner · 2026-10-09 · United States
Workflow map
From a quote to the last payment
| Job | App | What it does here |
|---|---|---|
| Set the total for the job | Budgets | Create a budget with a name, a description and the total you have allocated. Use one budget for each client project, trip or repair, so that each cost has one place to land. |
| Estimate each line | Budgets | Add items with an estimated amount, a vendor, a date and a type of service or product. The estimates show what you planned, so the amount paid can be read against them as the work goes on. |
| Record what is paid | Budgets | Enter each payment against its item, including partial payments to a contractor. The item then shows the estimate and the amount actually paid side by side, so the gap is visible at a glance. |
| Attach the receipt | Budgets | Upload a receipt file to the line it belongs to, so the cost and its proof stay together. A line without a receipt is still listed, and it shows no receipt icon, so you can spot the costs that lack proof. |
| Link the budget to a client | Budgets | Connect a client project's budget to its customer record, and the customer's name appears on the budget card. Use this when one client has several budgets for phases or trips. |
| Keep phases apart | Budgets | Give each phase, department or trip its own budget in the same workspace. One phase's overspend then does not hide inside another phase's totals, so each plan is judged on its own. |
In practice
A renovation budget across one week
Monday · open the kitchen budget
The homeowner creates one budget for the kitchen project and lists the cabinets, plumbing and paint as separate items. Each quote becomes an estimated amount, so the total shows the plan before any money has moved.
BudgetsTuesday · record a deposit
The contractor asks for a deposit before the materials arrive. The homeowner records it as a partial payment on the cabinet line, so the amount paid matches what has actually left the account. The line stays open, because the rest of the cabinet cost is still to come.
BudgetsWednesday · attach the receipt
The paint store receipt is saved as a file and attached to the paint line. The line then shows both the amount paid and the proof for it, so the next review does not depend on a paper folder.
BudgetsThursday · compare the plan
The estimated and actual figures show the cabinets running a little over plan and the plumbing still below it. The owner decides whether to move money between lines and records that choice in the budget description.
BudgetsFriday · list the open lines
Lines with an estimate but no payment are the work still to buy. The owner checks each one against the schedule before the weekend, so nothing is bought late or bought twice. Lines that are finished get their receipts attached before they are closed out.
Start here
Approvals and project papers that go with a budget
Budget amendment form
Decide who approves a change before money moves from one budget line to another.
Expense reimbursement form
Decide which receipts an employee must attach before a project cost is paid back.
Project brief template
Decide the scope and limits that a budget's lines must cover before anyone estimates them.
Consulting proposal template
Decide which costs a client proposal lists as estimated lines before the work is agreed.
Mistakes to avoid
Three budget habits that mislead
Treating an estimate as final
An estimate is the plan for a line, not a promise. Update the estimated amount when a supplier changes the price, so the comparison against what was paid stays useful for the rest of the job.
Reading a deposit as the full cost
A partial payment is money paid so far, not the final cost of the line. Keep the item open until the last bill is settled, so the amount paid is not mistaken for the amount still owed.
Entering other currencies as they are
Totals and item amounts are formatted in US dollars, and the app does not convert between currencies. Convert a foreign-currency bill yourself before you enter it, and write the exchange rate in the item description.
Working checklist
Before you estimate and each time you pay
Before you estimate
- The budget has a name, a total and a clear scope.
- Each line has a vendor, a date and a service or product type.
- Estimates come from the quote, not from memory.
Each time you pay
- The payment is entered as a partial payment on the right line.
- The receipt is attached, or the missing receipt is noted.
- The line stays open until the last bill is settled.
What this agreement means
What the Budgets app records
- A budget holds a name, a description, a total you have allocated and an optional customer link.
- Each item has an estimated amount, an amount actually paid, a vendor, a date and a service or product type.
- Partial payments and a receipt file can be recorded against an item.
- Amounts are formatted in US dollars and are not converted between currencies, and there is no CSV export.
- The app does not connect to a bank or track income, and Atty does not create or edit budgets.
Feature evidence: the budget and budget item types, the item dialog and list, and the budget card. Budgets is a project cost tracker, not personal-finance software.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a budget app for personal finances?
No. It tracks the cost of one project, trip or repair against what has been paid. It does not connect to a bank account, track income or sort everyday spending.
Can I track expenses in euros or another currency?
Amounts are formatted in US dollars and are not converted, so convert any other currency yourself before you enter the amount.
Can I export a budget to a spreadsheet?
There is no CSV export for budgets. Read the totals in the app and copy the figures you need into your own file.
Can a budget be linked to a customer?
Yes. Link a budget to a customer, and the customer's name shows on the budget card.
More references for this work
New Vendor Setup
Plan the questions and review process for new vendor setup.
Budget Modification Request
Plan the questions and review process for budget modification request.
Travel Authorization
Plan the questions and review process for travel authorization.
Grant Application
Plan the questions and review process for grant application.
Donation/Pledge Form
Plan the questions and review process for donation/pledge form.
