Here are five things you may not know when getting started with Tiller.
1. You Own Your Spreadsheet Data, Completely
This is a big one for privacy and control. While Tiller does the amazing work of getting your financial data into your spreadsheet, the workbook itself belongs 100% to you. Tiller doesn’t store or own your Google Sheet or Microsoft Excel file. This means you have total control over your financial data. The flip side is that if you accidentally delete your spreadsheet, Tiller support can’t recover it for you because it was never theirs to begin with. It’s your data, your way.
2. Tiller Fetches Your Recent History Automatically
When you first connect your accounts, Tiller will pull in about 30 to 90 days of your transaction history. The exact amount can vary a bit depending on the bank and aggregator. If you want to see a full year or more for analysis or tax purposes, you can import the older data. Tiller has great step by step guides for manually importing transactions from a CSV file, which you can usually download from your bank’s website. (Note that some aggregators might show longer history)
3. You Teach Tiller How to Categorize Your Spending
Out of the box, Tiller doesn’t automatically categorize your transactions. This is on purpose. The philosophy is that by categorizing your spending yourself at first, you build a much better awareness of where your money is going.
But you don’t have to do it manually forever. Tiller’s AutoCat tool is incredibly powerful. You create your own rules, and it will automatically categorize transactions for you. For Google Sheets users, there is also a beta feature called AI Suggest that can intelligently propose categories for you based on your past habits.
4. There is a Difference Between “Refreshing” and “Filling”
Getting data into your sheet is a two step process.
- Refreshing happens on the Tiller Console. This is Tiller checking with your banks for any new data.
- Filling is the step where that new data is added from Tiller into your actual spreadsheet.
For Google Sheets users, the Auto Fill feature is usually on by default, so your sheet will get new data added automatically. For Microsoft Excel, you just need to click the “Fill Available Updates” button in the Tiller Money Feeds add-in to pull in your new transactions and balances.
5. The “Transfer” Category is Key for Accurate Reports
You’ll notice three category types in Tiller: Income, Expense, and Transfer. That Transfer type is essential for accurate budgeting and cash flow reports.
When you move money between two accounts linked in Tiller, like paying your credit card bill from your checking account, you should categorize both sides of that movement as a Transfer. This prevents Tiller from seeing the payment as an expense and the payment received by the credit card as income. It’s not new money, it’s just your money moving from one of your pockets to another. Using the Transfer type keeps your reports clean and accurate.
Hope these tips help you get more out of Tiller!
-Alice
Tiller Evangelist