"Planned Spend" Number Top of Spending Plan is Mixing Planned Spending and Actual Overspent

buttersh

I couldn't figure out what the number called "Planned Spend" at the top of the spending plan was at first because it doesn't match my planned spending. Turns out that it is erroneously adding my my overspent amount to it, which is already right next to it. So it is mixing planned spending and the realized overage amount, which it should not be doing. Planned spending is just that. And the overspent amount is already right next to it.

Coach Jon

Hello @buttersh,

Thanks for reaching out! The Planned Spend amount is the sum of all of your variable expenses, like gas, groceries, and one-time monthly costs. If you have overspent in any of these Planned Spend expenses, the total will also include the overspent amount. The red overspent amount next to the Planned Spend amount is the total of all overspent expenses within the Planned Spend section. This would not be a bug in this case.

I hope this makes sense!

-Coach Jon

buttersh

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/comment/57959#Comment_57959

Hi Jon,

I hear you, but why have a number that is labeled "Planned Spending" which not actually planned spending there? I really do want to see my planned spending (with nothing added to it) and my overspend next to it. It's not helpful to have a number that is planned spending plus overspend next to the overspent amount. The way it is, I have to keep manually subtracting the overspend from that "Planned spending" number to see what my planned spending is. Why not just make that number actually be my planned spending like the name says?

DryHeat

@buttersh

There have been a number of suggestions about how to make "Planned Spend" more informative. (See link.)

As it works now, I don't think it gives the best view of how things are going during the month. And after the month is closed it either seems that you spent money you didn't actually spend (if you don't release funds) or you lose the record of what you had originally planned to spend (if you do release funds).

I would prefer that the top-of-page display show what I originally planned, how much I went over in some categories, how much I am under in other categories, and the net spent-so-far, like this:

Planned Spend: -$2,500.00 Overspent: -$400.00 Underspent: +800.00 Spent So Far: $-2,100.00

(Each category would begin totally underspent. Spending would climb toward target as the month goes on.)

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/12956/dont-change-target-amounts-in-planned-spending-when-releasing-funds-edited

buttersh

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/comment/57965#Comment_57965

Yes, DryHeat, thank you. That is EXACTLY what should be at the top. With the "Planned Spend" being just the total of your planned spending, not your planned spending plus your overspent as it currently is.

DryHeat

@buttersh

The product team just made a big change in the Planned Spend layout, but they are getting a lot of feedback asking for small (or large) changes to what they did.

The best you can do at this point is vote for the changes that you like and make a suggestion thread for your own ideas so that people can vote for those.