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Take Control of Your Finances in 10 Minutes

A complete quickstart guide to setting up Spendly, connecting your accounts, and getting instant insights into your spending.

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Spendly quickstart setup

Welcome to Spendly

You're 10 minutes away from complete clarity on where your money goes. This guide will walk you through setting up Spendly and getting your first meaningful financial insights.

No financial expertise required. No complicated setup. Just follow these simple steps and you'll be tracking your spending automatically.

Step 1: Create Your Account (1 minute)

Visit spendly.top and sign up using one of these methods:

  • Email address
  • Google account
  • Apple ID

That's it. No credit card required for the free plan or the 7-day Pro trial.

Step 2: Connect Your Bank Accounts (3 minutes)

After signing in, you'll see a prompt to connect your first bank account. Here's what to connect:

Essential Accounts

  • Your primary checking account (where your income goes)
  • Your main credit card

Optional But Recommended

  • Savings accounts
  • Additional credit cards
  • Investment accounts
  • Loans or mortgages

Security Note: Spendly uses bank-level encryption and never sees your login credentials. We connect through secure banking partners using read-only access. Your money and data are completely safe.

How to Connect

  • Click "Connect Bank Account"
  • Search for your bank name
  • Log in through your bank's secure portal
  • Grant read-only access to Spendly
  • Wait for your transactions to sync (usually 30-60 seconds)

Step 3: Review Your Auto-Categorized Transactions (2 minutes)

As soon as your accounts sync, Spendly's AI automatically categorizes all your recent transactions. Here's what to do:

  • Navigate to the Transactions view
  • Scan through the categories assigned to each transaction
  • If you see any miscategorized items, tap them and select the correct category
  • The AI learns from your corrections and gets smarter over time

Most users find the AI is 95%+ accurate right out of the box, so you'll only need to fix a few transactions.

Step 4: Set Up Your First Budget (3 minutes)

Now that Spendly knows your spending patterns, it's time to create budgets. Here's how to start:

Quick Budget Setup

  • Go to the Budgets section
  • Click "Create Budget"
  • Choose a category (start with your biggest spending category)
  • Set a monthly limit
  • Repeat for 3-5 important categories

Recommended First Budgets

Don't try to budget everything at once. Start with these high-impact categories:

  • Dining Out: Most people are shocked by how much they spend here
  • Groceries: Easy to overspend without realizing it
  • Shopping: Impulse purchases add up fast
  • Entertainment: Subscriptions, events, and hobbies

Spendly will track your spending against these budgets in real-time and alert you when you're getting close to your limits.

Step 5: Explore Your Dashboard (1 minute)

Go back to your main dashboard. You'll now see:

  • Your total spending this month
  • Spending breakdown by category
  • Budget progress for each category you set up
  • Recent transactions
  • All active subscriptions

This is your financial command center. Check it daily to stay on top of your spending.

Bonus: Try the AI Assistant (Pro Feature)

If you're on the 7-day Pro trial, try out "Ask My Money" — Spendly's AI financial assistant. Tap the chat icon and ask:

  • "How much did I spend on food this month?"
  • "What's my biggest expense?"
  • "Am I spending more than last month?"
  • "Where should I cut back?"

The AI will analyze your spending and give you personalized insights and recommendations.

What Happens Next?

That's it! You're all set up. Here's what will happen automatically:

  • Daily Sync: Your transactions update automatically every day
  • Smart Categorization: New transactions are categorized instantly
  • Budget Tracking: Spendly monitors your spending vs budgets
  • Alerts: Get notified when you're approaching budget limits
  • Weekly Insights: Receive a summary of your spending every week

Next Steps

Now that you're set up, here are some ways to get more value from Spendly:

  • Review weekly: Check your dashboard once per week to stay aware
  • Refine budgets: Adjust your budget amounts as you learn your spending patterns
  • Add more accounts: The more accounts you connect, the more complete your financial picture
  • Cancel unused subscriptions: Check the Subscriptions view and cancel anything you're not using
  • Export reports: Use the CSV export for tax time or financial reviews

Need Help?

Questions? We're here to help: