Allow Ability to add Multiple Categories to Planned Spending Expenses.

Flopbot
Flopbot Superuser, Beta Tester ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 2022 in Feature Requests
I would love the ability to add multiple categories to any one (1) Planned Spending expense under the Spending Plan...similar to the way you can do it with the Watchlist.

For example, I have these category groupings and each one has multiple subcategories.



I'd like to tie the top two (2) to this one (1) Planned Spending expense.



Personally, I like grouping my Categories together to give me a little more granularity when running reports, etc.

Chris
Spreadsheet user since forever.
Quicken Desktop user since 2014.
Quicken Simplifi user since 2021.

22 votes

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Comments

  • bst82551
    bst82551 Member
    edited October 2022
    Please include the ability to add multiple categories to a planned expense under the "Spending Plan" tab. This feature has been requested before by others and would be very useful.

    Previous ticket by other user: [removed self-referencing link to merged thread]
  • Vinifinpro
    Vinifinpro Member
    edited September 2023

    Enabling the addition of multiple categories and tags when adding expenses in the Simplifi app would offer users greater flexibility and precision in tracking their spending, making budgeting more effective and personalized.

  • Coach Natalie
    Coach Natalie Administrator, Moderator admin

    Hello @Vinifinpro,

    Thanks for posting your request to the Community!

    I went ahead and merged your request with an existing request for the ability to use multiple Categories in Planned Spending expenses. For the ability to use Tags in Planned Spending expenses, please add your vote and feedback here:

    Please be sure to include that you'd like not only the ability to create Planned Spending expenses based on Tags, but to also use multiple Tags and/or to be able to combine them with Categories. 🙂

    -Coach Natalie

  • Max1223
    Max1223 Member ✭✭✭✭

    Here is a use case. I have a Category called Home (expenses) under it I have a 6 subcategories including one called Appliances (NOT a monthly expense).

    To make the Spending plan work based on how I think Simplifi designed it, I would create a savings goal for Appliances which subtracts it from "Income after bills and savings". Then I would need to unselect it from the Planned Spending group category of HOME, BUT I can only select one subcategory at a time. So I either have to select and create 5 separate Planned Spending groups to NOT include Appliances or some other work around to solve this.

    Hence the request to select multiple subcategories within the process of setting up a Planned Spending group.

  • UrsulaA
    UrsulaA Superuser ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2023

    This idea already exists, vote for it here

    [removed link to merged thread]

    Simplifi User Since Nov 2023

    Minter 2014-2023

    Questionable Excel before 2014 to present

  • Max1223
    Max1223 Member ✭✭✭✭

    I'd like to be able to select multiple sub categories and just omit one per examples above.

  • UrsulaA
    UrsulaA Superuser ✭✭✭✭

    This idea will be helpful to help people manage their spending plan better. Make planned spending like a watchlist.

    Simplifi User Since Nov 2023

    Minter 2014-2023

    Questionable Excel before 2014 to present

  • Max1223
    Max1223 Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 6

    Since QS does not allow to Save a Report, I use watchlists more like Saved Reports. Using a Watchlist in lieu of the Spending Plan/Planned Spending doesn't really work for me as I'm attempting to build a complete view of my "planned" expenses within the Spending Plan.

    Here is example of using multiple categories in Planned Spending

    Shopping (main Category)

    • Clothes
    • Electronics
    • Hobbies
    • Software
    • Tools
    • etc

    In one Planned Spending, I would like to select just "Electronics" a larger annual spend on upgrading computers etc.

    In a second Planned Spending, I would like to select all the rest of the subcategories to rollup the rest of the Shopping expenses.

    I currently cannot select the rest of the subcategories. At the moment, I can only select the Entire category, "shopping" or remove "electronics" from Shopping or have to make a spending plan within Shopping for each subcategory that would lead to more plans than I would want to see.

    With the addition of Rollovers, I'm moving some savings goals (like Electronics) into the Planned Spending section and rolling over each month essentially creating a savings while adding a month expense to the planned spending.

    Thanks

  • Max1223
    Max1223 Member ✭✭✭✭

    @UrsulaA i re read your comment, yes more like a watchlist, but accounts for planned spending.

    I think the ability to select multiple categories to create Planned Spending especially now that we have rollovers. e.g some sub categories can be month to month while some might be assigned to a rollover.

    My current work around is I had to move Electronics out of Shopping as a separate expense so that I could create a rollover Planned Spending item for that.