Introduction:

In Lightning, there are Budgets and Budget Accounts.  The budgets hierarchy works like this:

Budget > Budget Accounts


The ability to edit a Budget Account is carefully protected.  Those authorized to do so, will be limited to:

  • Make Activate or Inactive any budget account.
  • View hidden Inactive budget accounts
  • Edit the name or description of the budget account.
  • Delete the budget account IF it has no history and is not tied to another record in Lightning.
  • NOTE:  If the budget account has history and you click Delete, only the past transactions will be deleted, and the expenses will be brought to $0.00.  The budget account will remain.
  • Establish a monthly budgeted amount for each account.
  • View last year's budgeted amount and last year's expenses for the account.


Active & Inactive Budget Accounts
Go to Settings >> Budget Accounts. Select the desired Budget in the left column.  This will give you access to all your active budget accounts for the chosen budget.
Move the cursor over the desired budget account.  This will cause the three-dot ellipsis to appear on the right side of the line.
Slide the Active button to make the budget account Inactive.

Once the budget account is Inactive it will disappear from the screen.  To see it again, click on the ellipsis next to the +Create Account button at the top of the screen. There you will find the option to show or hide Inactive Accounts.  

Editing Budget Name & Description

Move the cursor over the desired budget account.  This will cause the three-dot ellipsis to appear on the right side of the line.  Click on the ellipsis, and select Edit. Here you can edit the name of the account, and the description. NOTE:  Keep in mind that the Budget Account Name is what will appear throughout the program where budget accounts are called for.
Be sure to click the Save Changes button, once you are finished.  


Budget Planning

You may choose to set budgeted amounts per account on a monthly or annual basis.  This gives you the ability to set budget goals, and track your actual spending against those budgeted goals.  

Click on BUDGET PLANNING at the top/center of the page.  


To Create A Month-by-Month Budget Amount
Create a Yearly Budget Amount

The default when you open Budget Planning, is to establish a monthly budget.  The current month will appear on the screen, with all Active accounts for the chosen budget.

Enter the budgeted amount for each account, then click the < arrows >next to the month to proceed to the next month.

Wash. Rise. Repeat.

Click on the second calendar icon (top right corner) to change to Adjusting Yearly Budget Amount.  The amount you enter on each account line will be divided equally across the 12-month fiscal year. NOTE:  If you don't select []This will override all monthly budgets the change will only be applied to those months without a previously entered budgeted amount.


View Last Year Budget Amount

Simply click on the desired Budget Account, and the previous year's total Budgeted Amount and the actual Expenses will appear on the right side of the account line.


Useful Information and Links:

Useful Links to Related Articles: