Hi everyone,
I’m currently on the lookout for a self-hosted budgeting tool that utilizes the envelope method, similar to what YNAB offers. I’ve been using Firefly III for a while, and it’s great, but I’m seeking something that brings the budgeting aspect more to the forefront, rather than something I refer to in hindsight.
Ideally, I’d like a tool that allows for proactive budget management, where I can allocate funds to specific categories or ‘envelopes’ ahead of time. This way, I can track my expenses against my budget as they happen, rather than just reviewing them after the fact.
Additionally, having an iOS app for easy access and management on the go would be a huge plus.
Does anyone have recommendations for tools that fit this description? Any suggestions or insights from personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Last time I saw this question, someone else recommended Actual Budget. I haven’t used this myself (still using YNAB4), but I’m planning to switch to it in the future. It currently only imports from YNAB4, but they have an open API so it might import from other apps in the future.
Yes I switched from YNAB to Actual Budget and this is the closest thing to what OP is looking for.
That said the interface isn’t as polished, there are no bank imports outside Europe, mobile apps are discontinued and reports are sorely lacking.
But if those aren’t deal breakers it has all the same core features and has been pretty solid for me.
I’ve recently started using this, running it in a docker container on my media server. It’s fairly simplistic but that’s exactly what I was looking for.