How to Categorize
You can categorize transactions on the Transactions sheet by applying a category in the Category column. If you need to customize your Categories list you can read more about how to do that here.
Tiller does not automatically categorize transactions for you out of the box, but if you want some automation help, check out AutoCat. Read more on our philosophy about that here.
You can use the dropdown option to select a category, start typing the first few letters of the category to narrow the list and press enter, or have AutoCat help you categorize transactions.
Categorizing transactions is the key to understanding your financial picture. Ideally, you should visit your transactions sheet a couple times a week to check in and categorize. If you’re not seeing transactions you’d expect to see, visit your Tiller Console to refresh your accounts and then fill your spreadsheet with your latest data.
Our Philosophy
Tiller does not automatically categorize transactions by default, but we do offer an automation tool, AutoCat, for both Google Sheets and Excel to help speed up your categorizing workflows.
We believe manually categorizing your spending builds a clear picture of where your money is going. Besides, most other tools we've tried that automatically assign categories fall short. How can they know the intent behind your $30 purchase at the coffee shop? Perhaps part of the purchase was a gift, so why would we assume?
To sum it up here's why we take this different approach to categories:
It's quick. You can categorize your spending in just a few minutes a few times a week. It takes up less than 1% of your time.
It builds awareness. You know exactly what you spent and where when you touch each transaction. You're more engaged with your money this way.
It aligns your spending with your intent. As previously mentioned, we can't assume to know your intent behind any purchase.
It's more accurate. When you're doing it yourself, you always get it right.