User Guide
Everything you need to know about Kiwi Budget Mate — 100% free
✅ Every feature is free — no paid plan, no upgrade
🥝 Welcome to Kiwi Budget Mate!
New Zealand's personal budgeting app — built for Kiwis, by Kiwis. 100% free forever: track your income, expenses, bills, and savings goals, all in one beautiful place.
1. Sign In
Log in with your Google account
2. Add Income
Enter your salary and other income sources
3. Track Spending
Log daily expenses against your budget
App Layout Overview
How the app is organised and where to find everything
🖥️
Sidebar (Desktop)
All navigation links live in the left sidebar. Click any item to navigate.
📱
Bottom Nav (Mobile)
On phones, use the bottom bar for Dashboard, Expenses, Bills, and Goals.
☰
Hamburger Menu
On mobile, tap ☰ (top-left) to open the full menu with all sections.
🕐
NZ Time Display
The sidebar shows current New Zealand time so you always know the local time.
Recommended Setup Workflow
Follow these steps when you first join to get the most out of the app
Login
Add Income
Create Budget Categories
Add Bills
Set Savings Goals
Log Expenses Daily
Check Dashboard Weekly
Review Reports Monthly
1
Start with Income — the app needs your income to calculate budgets and savings rates.2
Create 3–6 Budget Categories (e.g., Housing, Transport, Groceries, Personal).3
Add your recurring Bills so you never miss a payment.4
Set at least one Savings Goal to stay motivated.5
Log expenses every day or every few days for best accuracy.6
Check your Dashboard each Sunday to see the week's summary.7
Review the Reports page at the end of each month.✅The Budget Assistant (floating chat) can answer how-to questions and give NZ budgeting tips anytime — free for everyone.