Why is my 'left of' different from my available balance?
Your 'left of' from your total budget is always different from your available balance from your primary bank account.
These two numbers, despite sounding similar, indicate two completely different concepts.
Your 'left of' is what's remaining from the total budget you have set in Emma; this is computed by taking your total budget and subtracting both committed and past spending. If you are looking for further information about what total budget to choose, you can find it here.
Your available balance is what you have left to spend in your bank account. This number is not generated from a total budget you have chosen, but it's the real money you have in the bank.
With this said, it's also worth mentioning if you go over your total budget, you won't have a 'left of' anymore; this will be indicated as an amount "over your budget of X" in the app. Despite being over budget, you might still have an available balance in your bank account since overspending is not correlated to not having available funds.
Your 'left of' is a way to track how you are doing towards the goal you have set. This is a great indicator to see if you are saving or overspending.
The available balance is your purchasing power which is not correlated with saving or overspending.
Certainly! To help illustrate the difference between your 'Left to Spend' and your available balance in the Emma app, here are two practical examples:
Example 1: Budgeting for the Month
Total Budget: £2,000
Committed Spending: £1,200 (e.g., rent, utilities, subscriptions)
Past Spending: £300 (e.g., groceries, dining out)
Bank Account Available Balance: £1,500
Calculations:
'Left to Spend' in Emma:
Total Budget (£2,000) - Committed Spending (£1,200) - Past Spending (£300) = £500
Available Balance in Bank Account:
£1,500 (the actual funds currently accessible in your bank account)
Interpretation:
The 'Left to Spend' of £500 indicates the remaining amount you can spend for the rest of the month to stay within your set budget.
The Available Balance of £1,500 represents the actual money available in your bank account at this moment.
Note: Even though your bank shows £1,500 available, Emma suggests you have £500 left to spend according to your budget plan. This helps ensure you don't overspend beyond your planned expenses for the month.
These two numbers, despite sounding similar, indicate two completely different concepts.
Your 'left of' is what's remaining from the total budget you have set in Emma; this is computed by taking your total budget and subtracting both committed and past spending. If you are looking for further information about what total budget to choose, you can find it here.
Your available balance is what you have left to spend in your bank account. This number is not generated from a total budget you have chosen, but it's the real money you have in the bank.
With this said, it's also worth mentioning if you go over your total budget, you won't have a 'left of' anymore; this will be indicated as an amount "over your budget of X" in the app. Despite being over budget, you might still have an available balance in your bank account since overspending is not correlated to not having available funds.
How can I use both numbers?
Your 'left of' is a way to track how you are doing towards the goal you have set. This is a great indicator to see if you are saving or overspending.
The available balance is your purchasing power which is not correlated with saving or overspending.
Can you give me an example?
Certainly! To help illustrate the difference between your 'Left to Spend' and your available balance in the Emma app, here are two practical examples:
Example 1: Budgeting for the Month
Total Budget: £2,000
Committed Spending: £1,200 (e.g., rent, utilities, subscriptions)
Past Spending: £300 (e.g., groceries, dining out)
Bank Account Available Balance: £1,500
Calculations:
'Left to Spend' in Emma:
Total Budget (£2,000) - Committed Spending (£1,200) - Past Spending (£300) = £500
Available Balance in Bank Account:
£1,500 (the actual funds currently accessible in your bank account)
Interpretation:
The 'Left to Spend' of £500 indicates the remaining amount you can spend for the rest of the month to stay within your set budget.
The Available Balance of £1,500 represents the actual money available in your bank account at this moment.
Note: Even though your bank shows £1,500 available, Emma suggests you have £500 left to spend according to your budget plan. This helps ensure you don't overspend beyond your planned expenses for the month.
Updated on: 28/03/2025
Thank you!