> ## 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).

# What is a period in Emma?

When you create a budget in Emma you will need to select a [period](https://help.emma-app.com/en/article/how-do-i-edit-my-period-7b3z5v/) for your budget.

The budgeting period is the cycle you will use to sync your budgets. For example, if you get paid on the last working day of each month you can set your period to this so you can track your spending throughout your pay cycle.

The period also allows Emma to enable the [True Balance](https://help.emma-app.com/en/article/true-balance-l8r139/) and [Committed Spending](https://help.emma-app.com/en/article/learn-committed-spending-1cg2t8v/) features. We need to understand your period to see how your recurring payments will impact your balance or budget.

The periods currently supported are: 

* First to last day of the month
* Last working day of the month
* Fixed monthly date
* Variable monthly date
* Twice a month
* Every 4 weeks
* Every 2 weeks
* every week

If you cannot find a budgeting period that perfectly fits your needs or you have multiple incomes, we recommend using the **First to last day of the month option** as then you can just budget on a month-to-month basis.