What the colors mean
The Available amount on a category is color-coded.The split between red and amber matters. Red is money already gone. Amber is a debt
you took on by putting it on a card. Both need covering, but only red has already
hit your account balances.
Cover it by moving money in
The fix for any overspent category is to move money into it from a category that came in under.1
Click the red or amber Available amount
A popover opens, pre-filled with the exact amount you are short.
2
Choose the category to pull from
Pick a category with green Available you are willing to spend down.
3
Choose Move Money
The overspent category returns to zero. The category you pulled from drops by the
same amount. Ready to Assign is untouched.
Credit overspending is different
If the overspending is amber, you spent on a credit card without budgeting for it. Covering it does two things at once: the category returns to zero, and the card’s Payment category gains the same amount, because that spending is now backed by real money and safe to pay. Until you cover it, the card’s Payment category stays short. See The Payment category is red.What happens if you leave it
- Cash overspending (red) rolls forward. The negative carries into next month’s category until you cover it, so it keeps reminding you.
- Credit overspending (amber) does not roll into next month’s spending category. Instead the claim stays on the card’s Payment category as an underfunded gap, which lasts until you budget for it or pay the card.
Related
Assign and move money
The move-money tool in full.
Payment category is red
Credit overspending and the safe-to-pay number.
How credit cards work
The funded-portion model behind the amber color.
Budgeting FAQ
Common budgeting questions answered.