> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.emma-app.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Set-up your budget

| Setting a budget tells Emma how much you want to **spend** over a given time period.

Follow the steps below to set up your budget:

1. Go to the **Feed** tab in Emma. 
2. Scroll down until you get to the **Budgeting & Analytics** section. 
3. Select **Set up budgets**.
4. Choose how you'd like to create your budget: 
* **Create your own budget** – Start from scratch and enter your own budget amounts.
* **Auto-create budget** – Emma will analyse your spending from the last 3 months and suggest a monthly budget and category budgets based on your average spending.
5. Set your period – this tells Emma the time period you want your budget to run for.
6. Set your category budgets – these help you keep track of spending for specific areas.
7. Select **Continue**, and you're done! You should now have your budget up and running in Emma.

|| **Note:** Savings, spending on investments, and credit card repayments should not be included in your total budget.

### Helpful Guides

* [What is your total budget in Emma?](https://help.emma-app.com/en/article/what-is-your-total-budget-in-emma-npp1iv/)
* [Rolling Budgets](https://help.emma-app.com/en/article/rolling-budgets-6qct2p/)
* [Create, edit and delete custom categories](https://help.emma-app.com/en/article/create-edit-and-delete-custom-categories-umylhf/)

### Why does Emma use 3 months of spending data?

Spending can vary from month to month. By looking at your last 3 months of transactions, Emma can provide a more balanced and realistic budget suggestion, rather than relying on a single month that may include unusual or one-off expenses.
These figures are only recommendations. You can review and change any suggested budget amount before saving it.

Need further assistance? Let us know via chat! 👋