How to Use Fintro — Budget Tool Guide

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Step 1 — Inputs

Upload your bank CSV or add transactions manually

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Step 2 — Budget

Set monthly targets for each spending category

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Step 3 — Dashboard

See charts, trends, and smart insights about your spending

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100% private

All data stays in your browser — nothing is sent to any server

Inputs — add your transactions

This is the only data entry you need to do. Everything else is automatic.

Option A — Upload your bank statement

The fastest way to get started. Download a CSV from your bank's website and drop it in. Fintro reads it automatically and categorizes every transaction for you.

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How to download a CSV from your bank TD: Account details → Download → CSV | RBC: Account activity → Export → CSV | BMO: Transaction history → Export | Scotiabank: View transactions → Download CSV | Tangerine / Simplii: Transaction history → Export

📥 Inputs

🎯 Budget

📊 Dashboard

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Drop your CSV here or click to browse

Your data is processed locally — nothing is uploaded anywhere

TD BankRBCBMOScotiabankCIBCTangerine

✅ Imported 47 transactions — categories auto-assigned. Review and edit as needed.

After uploading — your transaction list

Transactions (47)

All types ▾

All months ▾

🗑 Clear all

Date	Description	Amount	Type	Category	Notes
Apr 15, 2026	FRESHCO #442	-$23.15	expenseauto	Groceries ▾	—
Apr 14, 2026	EMPLOYER DIRECT DEP	+$1,240.00	income	Part-time ▾	—
Apr 13, 2026	BURRITO BOYZ #22	-$20.05	expenseauto	Eating Out ▾	—
Apr 12, 2026	PRESTO RELOAD	-$40.00	expenseauto	Transportation ▾	—
Apr 11, 2026	NETFLIX.COM	-$4.51	expenseauto	Online Subscriptions ▾	—

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Auto-assigned categories are tagged "auto" — always review them Fintro guesses the category based on the merchant name. It's usually right, but unusual entries (like e-transfers or vague descriptions) may need a manual correction. Just click the dropdown to change it.

Option B — Add transactions manually

Prefer to enter things by hand, or want to add a cash expense that won't appear on a bank statement? Use the manual entry form at the bottom of the Inputs tab.

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You can mix both methods Upload a statement to get all your card transactions, then manually add any cash purchases, transfers to family, or other items your statement won't capture.

Add transaction manually

Date

Apr 17, 2026

Description

Tim Hortons

Amount

$4.25

Budget — set your monthly targets

This is where you decide how much you want to spend in each category.

The Budget tab shows your actual spending (pulled automatically from your transactions) alongside a target you set. The colour tells you at a glance how you're doing — green means under budget, red means over.

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Start with your fixed costs first Set your Rent target first since it's your biggest and most predictable expense. Then work through Transportation, Cellphone, and subscriptions. Leave the variable stuff (Eating Out, Shopping) for last — those are the ones you'll actually want to track.

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Targets persist month to month Once you set your budget targets, they're saved automatically and carry over each month. You only need to change them if your situation changes.

📥 Inputs

🎯 Budget

📊 Dashboard

Income

$1,850

Spent

$1,340

Saved

$722

Variance

+$360

Category Actual Target Variance

Rent$850

$900

+$50

Eating Out$380

$500

-$80

Transportation$83

$100

+$17

Groceries$76

$300

+$224

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Red means over budget — but that's okay for now If a category shows red, it just means your actual spending exceeded your target for the current data period. Use this to adjust your target or your habits next month. The goal isn't perfection — it's awareness.

Dashboard — understand your spending

Interactive charts, month-by-month comparisons, and automatic insights.

The Dashboard pulls everything together visually. Filter by a specific month or view your full history. Charts update instantly when you switch months.

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Use the month filter at the top Click any month chip to see just that month's data across all charts and metrics. Click "All time" to see everything aggregated together.

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Three charts, one picture Bar chart shows spending by category. Donut shows the breakdown as a percentage. Line chart shows your income vs expenses month over month so you can spot trends.

📥 Inputs

🎯 Budget

📊 Dashboard

All time

Apr '26

Mar '26

Feb '26

Income

$1,850

Expenses

$1,340

Net

+$722

Savings

35%

Spending by category

Eating Out

Shopping

Transport

Groceries

Subscriptions

Gym

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Eating out is a big line item

$380 on food out. A 25% cut would save $95 — real money over a semester.

Frequently asked questions

Is my financial data private? ▼

Yes, completely. All of your transaction data is stored in your browser's local storage — it never leaves your device and is never sent to Fintro's servers or any third party. If you clear your browser data, the transactions will be erased.

My bank statement didn't import correctly — what do I do? ▼

Make sure you're downloading a CSV file (not PDF or Excel). Most banks offer this under "Export" or "Download" in your transaction history. If columns aren't being detected correctly, try opening the CSV in a text editor and check that there are columns for date, description, and amount. If you're still having trouble, use the manual entry form instead.

Why are some categories wrong after import? ▼

Fintro uses keyword matching to auto-categorize transactions based on merchant names. It's accurate for common merchants, but unusual descriptions, e-transfers, or less common stores may be categorized as "Other". These are tagged "auto" so you know to review them — just click the dropdown to change the category. Your corrections are saved automatically.

Will my data be saved if I close the tab? ▼

Yes. Your transactions and budget targets are saved automatically in your browser's local storage every time you make a change. They'll still be there when you come back — as long as you use the same browser and haven't cleared your browser data.

Can I use this on my phone? ▼

Yes, the budget tool works on mobile browsers. For the best experience, use it on a wider screen (laptop or tablet) when reviewing detailed transaction lists or charts.

How do I add a transaction that doesn't appear on my bank statement? ▼

Use the manual entry form at the bottom of the Inputs tab. Fill in the date, description, amount, and category, then click "+ Expense" or "+ Income". This is useful for cash purchases, transfers to family, or OSAP deposits.

How is this different from a regular spreadsheet? ▼

A spreadsheet requires you to manually enter formulas, sort data, and build charts yourself. Fintro does all of that automatically — just upload your bank statement and everything is categorized, visualized, and analyzed for you. It's also built specifically for the Canadian student context, with categories and insights that actually apply to your life.

Ready to try it?

The budget tool is free to use right now — no account needed.

Open the budget tool Get started free

How to use theFintro budget tool

Inputs — add your transactions

Option A — Upload your bank statement

After uploading — your transaction list

Option B — Add transactions manually

Budget — set your monthly targets

Dashboard — understand your spending

Ready to try it?

How to use the
Fintro budget tool