Your pay cycle and budget period: weekly, fortnightly, monthly, and the start date

For anyone who is paid weekly or fortnightly, wants to change their cycle or start date, has income that changes each pay, or is wondering why their budget income and cashflow income look different.

SortMe budgets around your pay cycle, not a fixed calendar month. You choose how often you are paid and when your cycle starts, and you enter your income. This article shows you how.

Choosing a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly cycle

You set your cycle on the Budget page, in the summary bar at the top.

1. Open the Budget page from the left-hand sidebar menu.
2. In the top summary bar, find the Pay Cycle box (it may be labelled Budget Cycle in your version).
3. Tap the pencil icon on that box.
4. Open the cycle dropdown ("Select Cycle") and choose Weekly, Fortnightly, or Monthly.
5. Save your change.

Your budget and its totals adjust to the cycle you pick.

Changing the cycle start date

In the same edit view, next to the cycle dropdown, there is a date picker labelled Previous Pay Date. Pick the date your last pay landed. SortMe uses this date to line your cycle up with your real pay, so the cycle repeats from the right day.

• You choose an actual date, not a "day of the week". SortMe works out the repeating day from the date you pick. For example, choose a Wednesday and your cycle shows "Every Wednesday" (weekly) or "Every Second Wednesday" (fortnightly).
• To move your cycle start, just set a new Previous Pay Date and save.

Setting up fortnightly or weekly pay

This is the same as above: choose Fortnightly (or Weekly) as your cycle, then set your Previous Pay Date to your most recent payday. From there SortMe runs your budget in fortnightly (or weekly) periods that match your pay.

Income that changes each pay (variable or commission)

You enter income as one or more Income Sources. Each source has its own amount and frequency, so you can mix, for example, a fortnightly salary and a monthly side income.

1. On the Budget page summary bar, find Income Sources (After Tax).
2. Tap its pencil icon to open the income editor ("Incomes").
3. For each source, enter a Title, an Amount, a Frequency (Weekly, Fortnightly, or Monthly), and a Next Pay Date.
4. Add more sources with a new row, and save.

Enter your after-tax amount, which is what actually lands in your bank. If your pay changes each period (for example commission), enter a realistic average amount for the frequency you chose. There is no separate "variable income" mode; the average is how SortMe handles pay that moves up and down. You can update it any time as your real pay settles.

Why is my cashflow income different from my budget income?

Both numbers come from the same Income Sources you entered, but they can be shown on different cycles, so the figures often look different.

• Your budget income is your total after-tax income shown per budget cycle (for example per fortnight).
• Your cashflow income is shown on the Cashflow page, which can use its own cycle and also breaks income down into weekly, fortnightly, and monthly views.

SortMe converts every income source to a common basis before it compares them, so the totals stay correct even when your income and your budget use different cycles. If the two numbers look different, it is almost always because one is shown per fortnight and the other per month (or week). Convert one to the other and they line up. For more on the Cashflow page, see How the Cashflow Page Works in SortMe.

Frequently asked questions

I have more than one job. Can I add both?
Yes. Add each as its own Income Source with its own amount, frequency, and next pay date.

Do I enter my income before or after tax?
After tax. This is the amount that actually lands in your bank account.

My budget cycle and my pay do not line up. What do I do?
Set the Previous Pay Date to your most recent real payday and pick the matching cycle. That anchors the budget to your pay.

Can I set the budget to a different cycle than my pay?
Yes. Your income sources and your budget can be on different cycles. SortMe converts between them so your totals stay right.

Still stuck? Email us at support@sortme.com.