Understanding Your Spend Overview
The Spend Overview is your central hub for understanding where your money is going. It provides a visual breakdown of all your spending by category, allowing you to quickly identify spending patterns and take control of your finances. In this article, we'll walk you through all the key features of the Spend Overview page.
Accessing the Spend Overview
Navigate to the "Spend Overview" page from the left-hand sidebar menu in your SortMe account.
Spend Breakdown Bar
At the top of the Spend Overview page, you'll see a colour-coded horizontal bar that provides a quick visual snapshot of your spending distribution. Each segment represents a spending category (e.g., Lifestyle, Housing, Uncategorized) and shows its percentage of your total spend. This makes it easy to identify your biggest spending areas at a glance.
Category Breakdown List
Below the spend bar, you'll find a detailed list of all your spending categories with dollar amounts. Categories include Appearance, Education, Food, Health, Household, Housing, Lifestyle, Professional Services, Transport, Utilities, Finance, and Uncategorized. The total at the bottom shows your overall spending for the selected time period.
Click on any category to expand it and view its subcategories. For example, clicking "Transport" will reveal subcategories like Automotive repair and servicing, Boat transport services, Petrol stations, and more. Each subcategory includes keyword tags to help you understand what types of transactions fall under it.
Transaction Detail Panel
When you select a category or subcategory from the left-hand list, the right-hand panel displays all individual transactions within that category. Transactions are grouped by date and show the transaction description, the associated bank account, and the transaction amount. This gives you full visibility into exactly what makes up each spending category.
Adjusting the Date Range
Use the date range controls at the top right of the page to change the time period you're viewing. Quick-select options include:
- 7 Days
- 14 Days
- 30 Days
- Custom – Use the calendar picker to select a specific date range
- Last 12 Months or All Time – Available via the Custom dropdown
Changing the date range will update both the category breakdown and transaction details in real time.
Searching and Filtering Transactions
Use the "Search Transaction" bar at the top of the page to quickly find specific transactions by name or description. You can also use the filter icon next to the search bar to narrow results further.
Budget vs Actual Toggle
Next to the page title, you'll see a "Budget vs Actual" toggle. Switching this on allows you to compare your actual spending against the spend targets you've set in the Budget section of SortMe. This is a powerful way to see at a glance whether you're staying on track.