# Setting starting category balances in Foundation template? **URL:** \ **Category:** Google Sheets\ **Tags:** envelope-budget, how-to, budgeting\ **Created:** [September 7, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272 "2019-09-07T22:20:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Budget2FIRE](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/budget2fire/32/317_2.png) [@Budget2FIRE](https://community.tiller.com/u/Budget2FIRE)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/1 "2019-09-07T22:20:17Z")
I’m new to Tiller and getting started with the Foundation template. I’ve been zero sum budgeting for years so many of my categories (e.g. property tax payment, vacation fund) already have a starting balance. What’s the best way to input these starting balances? I put them in as budgeted amounts for the previous month, but is that the best place for it? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![jono](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/jono/32/283_2.png) [@jono](https://community.tiller.com/u/jono)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/2 "2019-09-10T22:00:34Z")
Hi @Budget2FIRE, When you say these categories already have a starting balance, are you talking about a budgeted balance or an actual balance or both? If you need to get some initial actual Category values in, you could add balancing or initial transactions on the first date of the year, or the first day you started using Tiller transactions. I think its fine if you put them in as budget amounts for the previous month, if that method works for you. ---
**Author:** ![Budget2FIRE](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/budget2fire/32/317_2.png) [@Budget2FIRE](https://community.tiller.com/u/Budget2FIRE)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 12:49am UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/3 "2019-09-11T00:49:42Z")
It turns out putting the previous budgeted amounts (e.g. previously saved $400 in my Vacation category in 2018, budgeting an additional $100/month) isn’t rolling over month to month on the yearly view, so I can’t see what i have to available to spend in a given year, in terms of actual money, not just the projected annual budget. For September, I just see I have $100 in the vacation category that was budgeted in Sept. I don’t see that i have $400 left from earlier in the year, plus $100, available to spend anywhere. The yearly view shows $800 available, which assumes I keep budgeting exactly the same amount to that category for the rest of the year. I thought Tiller was zero sum budgeting with monthly category rollovers, which is what has worked for me for a long time, so I’m not looking to switch to a new system. After looking at it more this weekend, I realized getting the “planned cashflow” to zero gives me my zero sum budget but the lack of category rollovers is a dealbreaker for me and the Foundation template. I’ll have a go at the older Tiller budget sheet, as I think that (hopefully) has category rollovers! ---
**Author:** ![heather](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/heather/32/177_2.png) [@heather](https://community.tiller.com/u/heather)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/4 "2019-09-11T14:31:35Z")
@Budget2FIRE, you’re right. The Foundation Template does not support rollovers. The Tiller Budget supported here in the Tiller Money Community does have the rollover capability. You can learn more here: > [@Docs: Envelope Budget](https://community.tiller.com/t/tiller-budget-via-tiller-add-on-comprehensive-guide/110): > > What is the Envelope Budget? The Envelope Budget (formerly known as the “Tiller Budget”) is a dynamic spreadsheet budgeting template that allows you to use an envelope or zero sum budgeting style, set and monitor savings goals, and automate many aspects of budgeting. NOTE: This template and it’s functionality do not work with the Tiller Foundation Template. You must start in a new sheet to use these features. There is a newer template for envelope budgeting, the [Savings Budget](https://community.tiller.com/t/add-the-savings-budget-sheet/5165), that does wor… ---
**Author:** ![cheryl.mccosh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/cheryl.mccosh/32/573_2.png) [@cheryl.mccosh](https://community.tiller.com/u/cheryl.mccosh)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/5 "2019-09-23T17:23:48Z")
I have this same question using the Tiller Budget with Rollovers. I can’t see how to update my initial balances, especially since I already categorized transactions and they appear as actual expenses in the budget. I don’t want to double count them by having my starting balances subsume those as well, and I can’t figure out how to calculate exactly what I started with in each account after the fact. The balances sheet doesn’t give a specific date, so I’m assuming it’s current. Do I have to match every transaction to an account and subtract it all out of my current budget then add that initial debt somehow? TIA ---
**Author:** ![heather](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/heather/32/177_2.png) [@heather](https://community.tiller.com/u/heather)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/6 "2019-09-25T14:56:07Z")
👋, @cheryl.mccosh! You can set the rollover balance of a category using the Adjust cell (column M) and typing r=[amount]. The Accounts/Balances sheet is only for actual current account balances, and is not tied to the Transactions sheet or budget dashboard at all. Does that help? Heather ---
**Author:** ![dladymon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/dladymon/32/11459_2.png) [@dladymon](https://community.tiller.com/u/dladymon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/7 "2023-01-31T21:11:18Z")
New to Tiller so forgive me if this has been answered before but Is the Savings Envelope also available for Excel? ---
**Author:** ![randy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tiller.com/randy/32/16_2.png) [@randy](https://community.tiller.com/u/randy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 6:00am UTC](https://community.tiller.com/t/setting-starting-category-balances-in-foundation-template/272/8 "2023-02-01T06:00:00Z")
No. Sorry. Only exists in Sheets at this time.