Set a budget

Set how much one account may spend or earn in a month, and read it against what moved.

Needs Open a bank account

What you getCopy Anchor Link

• 1Budget per spending category and month, compared with actual spend as money movesBudget
• 1monthly review of spend against every Budget, with a six-month forecastProcess
• 1message when an account runs over its Budget by the alert share you setMessage
• 1Approval from you before any Budget changesApproval

Your agent doesCopy Anchor Link

# Budget.create
curl -X POST https://api.sb/leaseline.app/budgets \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $STARTUP_BUILDER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"account":"expense.ads","period":"period_2026_11","amount":{"amount":500,"currency":"USD"}}'

import { $ } from 'startup-builder'

await $.Budget.create({ account: 'expense.ads', period: 'period_2026_11', amount: { amount: 500, currency: 'USD' } })

npx startup-builder do Budget.create --json '{"account":"expense.ads","period":"period_2026_11","amount":{"amount":500,"currency":"USD"}}'

{
  "name": "do",
  "arguments": {
    "code": "return await $.Budget.create({ account: 'expense.ads', period: 'period_2026_11', amount: { amount: 500, currency: 'USD' } })"
  }
}

Change itCopy Anchor Link

• Make it $800 from next month.
• Tell me when any budget runs 10% over.
• Hold the ads card when the ads budget runs out.
• Show spend against budget every Monday.

Under the hoodCopy Anchor Link

Systems

Ledger, Treasury, Spend management

Nouns

Budget, Entry, Period, Forecast

Events

Budget.created, Period.closed

A Budget plans one account in the chart of accounts for one Period, such as expense.ads for one month. Its actual is computed from Entries as each Transaction reconciles, so it is never a month behind.

When a Period closes, the Budget Process compares spend with every Budget, forecasts six months ahead and proposes next month's numbers. Any change waits for your yes.

A Budget reports; a Limit stops. To make an agent stop at the number, put the same amount on its Card or Mandate, as the card with a limit guide does.