Quick answers to the most common questions about Cake Budget.

Getting Started

What is Cake Budget?

Cake Budget is an automated envelope budgeting app that helps you manage your finances through real-time transaction syncing, intelligent automation, and AI-powered insights.

How is Cake Budget different from other budgeting apps?

Key differences:

Envelope budgeting: Give every dollar a specific job with “slices”
Funding schedules: Auto-allocate paychecks to budget categories
Real-time sync: Transactions appear within seconds via webhooks
Smart automation: Rules engine handles categorization automatically
On Track status: Know if you’ll reach goals before it’s too late

Do I need to connect a bank account?

Yes. Cake Budget requires at least one connected bank account for automatic transaction syncing and budgeting features.

How long does setup take?

Initial setup: 10-15 minutes

Create account (1 min)
Connect bank (2 mins)
Create 3-5 slices (5 mins)
Set up 1-2 automation rules (3 mins)
Configure funding schedule (4 mins)

After setup, Cake Budget runs on autopilot!

Pricing & Subscriptions

How much does Cake Budget cost?

Budget Pro: $10/month or $100/year Family: $20/month or $200/year Free Trial: 30 days, no credit card required

What’s the difference between Budget Pro and Family?

Budget Pro:

2 bank institutions, 5 accounts
Individual budgeting

Family:

5 bank institutions, 12 accounts
Shared slices with up to 2 family members
Collaborative budgeting

See Pricing and Plans for complete comparison.

Is there a free trial?

Yes! 30 days free with full access to Budget Pro features. No credit card required to start.

Do you offer student discounts?

Yes! Email support@trycakebudget.com with proof of enrollment for student pricing.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Cancel in Settings → Subscription. Access continues until the end of your billing period.

Do you offer refunds?

No refunds for partial months, but you keep access until your billing period ends.

Your subscription features stop working:

Bank syncing stops
Automation features deactivate (rules, funding schedules)
Historical data is preserved for 90 days
You can resubscribe anytime to restore access

Bank Connections & Security

Is it safe to connect my bank?

Yes. Cake Budget uses Plaid, trusted by Venmo, Acorns, and 8,000+ financial apps. Your credentials go directly to Plaid (not Cake Budget) and are encrypted with bank-level security.

See Security & Privacy for details.

Can Cake Budget move money from my accounts?

No. Cake Budget has read-only access. We can only view transactions and balances, never transfer or withdraw funds.

Which banks are supported?

10,000+ US banks and credit unions including all major banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc.). Search for your bank during connection to verify support.

How often do transactions sync?

Real-time: Transactions appear within seconds via webhooks when they post at your bank. Backup: Daily sync at 3 AM catches anything missed. Manual: Click “Sync Now” anytime in Settings.

What if my bank connection expires?

You’ll receive an email notification. Click “Reconnect” in Settings, enter your current credentials, and syncing resumes immediately.

Do pending transactions show up?

Yes. Pending transactions appear and are marked as “pending” until they officially post at your bank.

How many bank accounts can I connect?

Budget Pro: 2 institutions, up to 5 accounts total Family: 5 institutions, up to 12 accounts total

One institution = one bank (e.g., Chase). Multiple accounts at the same bank count as one institution.

Slices & Budgeting

What is a slice?

A slice is a virtual envelope for a budget category. Think of it as a labeled jar where you set aside money for specific purposes (rent, groceries, emergency fund, etc.).

See How to Create Your First Slice.

How many slices can I create?

Unlimited! Most users have 5-15 slices, but you can create as many as you need.

Can I delete a slice?

Yes, but only if it has no transactions assigned. If it has transactions, reassign them first.

What’s the difference between a slice and a category?

Slices: Budget allocations (how you divvy up your money)
Categories: Transaction labels (what type of expense it is)

One transaction can have both (e.g., assigned to “Groceries” slice with “Food & Dining” category).

What are slice templates?

Pre-configured slices with smart defaults for common budget categories (Groceries, Emergency Fund, Transportation, etc.). Click “Templates” on the Slices page to browse.

Yes, with the Family tier. Shared slices allow collaborative budgeting with up to 2 additional family members.

Automation Features

What are automation rules?

Rules automatically categorize and manage transactions based on conditions you set. For example: “If merchant contains ‘Starbucks’, assign to ‘Dining Out’ slice.”

See How to Create Automation Rules.

What are funding schedules?

Funding schedules detect your paycheck and automatically allocate it across your slices. Set it up once, and every paycheck is budgeted automatically.

See How to Setup a Funding Schedule.

What’s the difference between funding schedules and auto-contributions?

Funding Schedules: Trigger when your paycheck arrives (smart income detection) Auto-Contributions: Run on a fixed schedule (every Friday, 1st of month, etc.)

Use funding schedules for paychecks, auto-contributions for regular savings.

How do recurring slices work?

Recurring slices automatically advance their target date and optionally reset balances when the due date passes. Perfect for monthly bills that repeat.

See How to Setup Recurring Slices.

Can I apply rules to past transactions?

Yes! Use the “Backfill” feature on any rule to apply it retroactively to historical transactions.

Safe-to-Spend

What is Safe-to-Spend?

Safe-to-Spend is the money you have left after subtracting all your slice allocations from your account balances. It’s your truly available money.

Formula: Account Balances - Slice Balances = Safe-to-Spend

See Understanding Safe-to-Spend.

Why is my Safe-to-Spend negative?

You’ve allocated more to slices than you currently have in accounts. Common causes:

Over-allocated to savings goals
Forward-budgeting for next month
Recent large expense

This isn’t always bad—it might mean you’re aggressively saving. Just ensure you can still pay your bills.

Can I customize the Safe-to-Spend colors?

Yes! Click the settings icon next to Safe-to-Spend and set your green (comfortable) and red (warning) thresholds.

Can I exclude accounts from Safe-to-Spend?

Yes. Click the settings icon next to Safe-to-Spend, go to the Accounts tab, and toggle accounts on/off.

Transactions

Can I edit transactions?

Yes. Click on any transaction to edit:

Description/name
Category
Slice assignment
Notes

Amount and date can’t be changed (those come from your bank).

Can I split a transaction?

Yes! Click the ... menu on a transaction row, select “Split Transaction,” and divide it into multiple parts with different slices and categories.

See How to Split a Transaction.

Can I delete transactions?

Yes. Click the ... menu and select “Delete.” The transaction is removed and slice balances are properly restored.

Why are some transactions missing?

Common reasons:

Still pending at your bank (not posted yet)
Occurred before you connected the account
Bank delayed posting
Connection expired

Try forcing a manual sync or reconnecting your bank.

Do transactions sync from credit cards?

Yes! Connect your credit card accounts to track credit card spending in your budget.

On Track Status

What does “On Track” mean?

Based on your funding schedules and auto-contributions, Cake Budget projects whether you’ll reach your slice goal by the target date.

Statuses:

Ready: Fully funded (goal reached)
On Track: Projected to meet goal on time
Behind: Won’t meet goal without changes
Past Due: Deadline passed, not fully funded

See On Track Status Calculation.

Why is my slice “Behind”?

Your current funding won’t reach the goal by the target date. Solutions:

Increase funding amount
Extend target date
Lower target amount
Make a one-time deposit

AI Insights

What are AI insights?

AI-powered spending analysis and personalized recommendations based on your transaction patterns.

How do I generate insights?

Navigate to Insights page and click “Generate Insights.” Processing takes 2-3 minutes with real-time progress updates.

How often can I generate insights?

As often as you want, but weekly or monthly is typical for meaningful analysis.

Do insights cost extra?

No. Included in Budget Pro and Family subscriptions.

Family Features (Family Tier Only)

How do I add family members?

Settings → Family Members → “Invite Family Member.” They’ll receive an email invitation to join.

Can family members see all my transactions?

Only transactions from shared slices. Personal slices remain private.

How many family members can I add?

Up to 2 additional members (3 total including you).

Technical & Support

Is there a mobile app?

Cake Budget is a mobile-responsive web app that works great on phones and tablets. Install it to your home screen for an app-like experience (PWA).

What browsers are supported?

Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge (latest versions). Mobile browsers fully supported.

Can I export my data?

Feature in development. Contact support@trycakebudget.com for assistance with data exports.

How do I contact support?

Email: support@trycakebudget.com Response time: Within 24 hours (faster for urgent issues)

Where can I report bugs or request features?

Email support@trycakebudget.com with details. We prioritize user feedback!

Didn’t find your answer? Email us at support@trycakebudget.com—we’re happy to help!