How to Use Got My Pay

Got My Pay makes budgeting simple. Follow this guide to get started and make the most of your budget.

Getting Started

Step 1: Add Your Bills

Go to the Bills tab and add all your recurring bills like rent, utilities, subscriptions, car payments, and insurance.

If you have a fluctuating bill (i.e electric or water), choose your highest bill amount to make sure you are setting aside enough to cover the bill.

Enter the actual amount you pay and how often you pay it (monthly, weekly, etc.). The app automatically converts everything to bi-weekly amounts and reserves that money from your budget.

Step 2: Enter Your Paycheck

Go to the Income tab and enter your paycheck amount in the "Enter Paycheck" section. Click "Got My Pay!" to start tracking your new pay period.

This amount is what you actually receive after taxes and deductions - your take-home pay.

Step 3: Track Your Spending

Every time you make a purchase, go to the Spending tab and add it. Your "Available to Spend" balance at the top updates in real-time.

Add purchases as soon as you make them - this keeps your budget accurate throughout the day.

Understanding the Tabs

Spending Tab

Track everyday purchases like groceries, coffee, gas, dining out, and entertainment. These reset when you process a new paycheck, giving you a fresh start each pay period.

Important: Don't add bills as purchases! Your bills are already deducted automatically.

Income Tab

This tab has three sections:

Enter Paycheck: Your main income source. Processing a new paycheck starts a fresh budget period and resets your purchases and one-time income.

One-Time Income: Money you receive occasionally like birthday gifts, tax refunds, bonuses, or cash from selling items. This income is added to your current paycheck but resets when you process your next one.

Recurring Income: Side gigs, roommate rent, freelance work, or any money you receive regularly. Add these once and they're automatically included in every paycheck calculation.

If you have an income source that fluctuates, it would be best to input it as One-Time Income instead of Recurring Income

Bills Tab

Add bills once and they're automatically deducted from every paycheck. Enter the actual bill amount and frequency - the app converts everything to bi-weekly for you.

Examples: Rent ($1,200/month), Subscription ($17.99/month), Car Insurance ($1800/6 months), Phone Bill ($75/month)

Variable Bills ★ PREMIUM

Track bills that change each month or quarterly, like electric, water, or trash service. Instead of guessing, the app tracks the highest amount you've paid over your last 6 entries (quarterly) or 12 entries (monthly) and reserves that amount for your budget. This way, you're always covered—even during expensive months.

How it works:

Premium users can: Log new bills, edit individual entries, and delete history entries to manage their variable bills.

Free users can: View your saved variable bills and their history in read-only mode. You can delete the entire variable bill if needed, but individual entries can't be edited.

Key Concepts

Available to Spend

This is the main number at the top of your screen. It shows how much money you have left after bills are reserved and purchases are subtracted.

The calculation: Paycheck - Bills + Recurring Income + One-Time Income - Purchases = Available to Spend

Overall Net Balance

This shows your total financial picture across all paychecks. If you saved money from previous paychecks, it's added here. If you overspent, it's subtracted.

Why Bi-Weekly?

Most people get paid bi-weekly (every 2 weeks), but bills come at different frequencies. Got My Pay normalizes everything to bi-weekly periods so you always know exactly what you can spend.

For example, a $1,200 monthly rent becomes $553.85 bi-weekly, and that amount is automatically reserved from each paycheck.

Tips for Success

Pro Tip: Add purchases immediately after buying something. The longer you wait, the easier it is to forget.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when I process a new paycheck?

Your purchases and one-time income reset to zero, giving you a fresh start. Your bills and recurring income stay saved, so you don't have to re-enter them.

Where is my data stored?

All data is stored locally on your device using browser storage. Nothing is sent to our servers, giving you complete privacy.

Can I use this on multiple devices?

The app works on any device, but data doesn't sync automatically between them. Each device maintains its own separate budget. To transfer your data when switching devices, use Export Data to download a backup file, then Import Data on your other device.

What if I make a mistake?

You can delete any purchase, bill, or income entry by tapping the × button next to it. A confirmation will appear before deleting.

Editting amounts coming soon!

Do I need to add bills every time I pay them?

No! This is a common mistake. Add each bill once in the Bills tab, and it's automatically deducted from every paycheck. Don't track bill payments as purchases.

What if my bill amount changes?

Delete the old bill entry and add a new one with the updated amount.

Editting amounts coming soon!

Can I track different paycheck schedules?

Currently, the app is optimized for bi-weekly pay periods. Different pay support is planned for a future update.

What if I work multiple jobs?

For now, the app works best with one bi-weekly paycheck. Support for multiple paychecks is in development.