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This question is really more specific to Mint.com since I do all of my personal account management there. In the Budgets tab, I always have the unaccounted transactions at the bottom of the page where my Savings transactions sit.

For a time, I would set these as a debit from my checking account and add them into the budget accordingly. However, that's not exactly an accurate portrayal of these transactions as "expenses" is it? Not to mention, my savings accounts are also on mint, so I have the credit transactions appearing too.

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If you have your paycheck deposited to a single account, include the amount you're saving in your normal income budget and then make sure your savings goal at the bottom is funded. (The Savings Goal is a discrete feature in Mint. Use it.) Record the transaction on either end as a transfer: it won't show up in any of your budget lines.

If you have part of your paycheck deposited to a separate savings account, and Mint sees the transaction with your normal income, do the same basic setup (except you won't see the transfer).

If a portion of your paycheck is sent somewhere like a retirement plan or 401(k) such that Mint doesn't record a transaction for the income, exclude the amount from your income budgets and check the option on your goal that says it's being funded independently (it'll appear greyed out on the bottom.)

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  • Ok so I set up the Goals in Mint. Now why do you say that I need to include the amount I'm saving in my normal income budget? Do you mean to make a separate line item in my income just for "Savings"? I have the goal funded by a specific account - does that not suffice? I read Mint's help but it didn't really explain this. Thanks.
    – NoCatharsis
    Feb 9, 2011 at 14:49
  • I mean, if you make $2000 a month and you're saving $500 of it, set the income budget for the full $2000 (instead of just $1500).
    – user296
    Feb 9, 2011 at 15:41
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The Savings should appear as an expense. Because, to subscribe to the thought of "pay yourself first" the money should really be off limits, and treated like a bill that you have to pay yourself every week, month, etc.

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    I definitely agree with this mantra, but there are two sides to that statement, and the other side is that you are, in fact, getting paid. Therefore, wouldn't it be an income flow?
    – NoCatharsis
    Feb 8, 2011 at 22:35
  • @NoCatharsis Yes, but this other "you" who gets paid is outside of this accounting.
    – glglgl
    Feb 8, 2019 at 13:10
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I would show the full income of $2000 then show a "Transfer to Savings" line under the Expenses for $500.

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