Help & Documentation

Welcome to 3 Bucket Budget! Click any section below to expand it.

Getting Started

1. Sign in with Google

Click the "Sign in with Google" button on the home page. Basic sign-in only requires your email for authentication.

2. Your First Upload

Upload your first bank statement PDF. The app will automatically extract and categorize your transactions.

3. Review Your Transactions

Check the categorization and make any adjustments needed before exporting.

4. Export Your Budget

Choose how you want to save your budget:

  • Export to Excel File: Download a complete budget file to your device
  • Export to Google Sheets: Create a budget spreadsheet in your Google Drive for ongoing tracking and more features
How to Upload Bank Statements

Step 1: Download Your Statement

Log in to your online banking and download your monthly statement as a PDF.

Step 2: Go to Upload Page

Click "Upload Statement" from your Dashboard or navigation menu.

Step 3: Upload Your PDF

  1. Click "Choose File" and select your PDF statement
  2. The app will automatically detect your bank type
  3. Click "Upload and Extract"
  4. Wait while the app processes your statement

Supported Banks

  • Scotiabank Bahamas: Electronic Access Account, Electronic Access Digital, Primary Savings Account, and Credit Card statements
  • CIBC FirstCaribbean: Chequing Account & Credit Card statements
  • RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas): Day to Day Savings Account statement
  • Commonwealth Bank: Bahamas Savings Account statement
  • Fidelity Bank (Bahamas): Savings Account statement

Tip: Keep your original PDF bank statements safe on your device. We process them temporarily and delete them - they're not stored anywhere after processing.

How to Review & Categorize Transactions

Understanding the Review Page

After uploading, you'll be redirected to the Review page where you can see all extracted transactions.

Transaction Details

Each transaction shows:

  • Date: Transaction date
  • Description: Merchant or transaction description (click to edit)
  • Amount: Transaction amount (click to edit)
  • Category: Auto-assigned category (editable via dropdown)
  • Bank Name: Detected bank name (click to edit in sidebar)

Editing Transactions

You can fix parser errors before exporting:

  • Amounts: Click any amount to correct it. A blue dot indicates edited cells.
  • Descriptions: Click any description to rewrite it. When you edit one, the app offers to apply the same change to similar transactions.
  • Bank names: Click the bank name in the sidebar header to change it.

The app remembers your description and bank name edits for future uploads — go to Settings to manage these preferences.

Reviewing Categories

  1. Check yellow-highlighted items: These need your review (confidence below 70%)
  2. Edit categories: Click the dropdown to change any category
  3. Confirm or adjust: Review auto-assigned categories
  4. Export: Click "Export to Excel File" or "Export to Google Sheets"

Bulk Category Assignment

Need to categorize multiple similar transactions? You have two options:

  • Smart Detection: When you change a transaction's category, the app automatically finds similar transactions and offers to apply the same category to all of them
  • Manual Selection: Use the checkboxes to select multiple transactions, then use the floating action bar to assign a category to all selected items

Customizing Your Categories

You can personalize the 17 built-in categories. Go to Settings → Category Names & Visibility to:

  • Rename categories: Change "Eating Out" to "Restaurants" - your custom names appear everywhere
  • Hide unused categories: Uncheck categories you don't need to remove them from dropdowns

Tip: The app learns from your corrections! If you correct a category, it will remember for future uploads.

Cash Entry & Live Transactions

What is Cash Entry?

Cash Entry lets you manually add transactions that don't appear on your bank statements - like cash purchases, person-to-person payments, or any transaction you want to track.

How to Use Cash Entry

  1. From your Dashboard, click "Cash Entry"
  2. Fill in the transaction details (Date, Description, Amount, Type, Category)
  3. Click "Add Transaction" to add it to your list
  4. Add more transactions as needed
  5. When done, click "Save to Sheet"

Where Do Cash Entries Go?

Cash entries are saved to "[Month] Live Transactions" sheets in your budget spreadsheet, separate from bank statement transactions.

No Spreadsheet Yet?

No problem! Cash Entry will automatically create a new budget spreadsheet for you when you save.

Tip: Use Cash Entry for everyday cash purchases or payments from apps like Zelle/Venmo that don't appear on statements.

Export Options: Excel vs Google Sheets

After reviewing your transactions, you have two ways to save your budget. Both are included at no extra cost!

Export to Excel

Best for: Quick downloads, local files

  • Complete .xlsx budget file
  • Monthly Summary with charts
  • No additional permissions needed

Export to Google Sheets

Best for: Ongoing tracking, advanced features

  • Annual Overview dashboard
  • Email Auto-Import support
  • Access from any device
  • Budget tracking columns

Tip: You can use both! Download Excel for backup, and use Google Sheets for ongoing tracking.

Setting Up Email Auto-Import

What is Email Auto-Import?

Email Auto-Import monitors your Gmail for bank transaction alerts and automatically imports them to your budget spreadsheet in real-time. Currently works with Scotiabank Bahamas and CIBC FirstCaribbean email alerts. PDF upload supports all 5 banks.

Setup Steps

  1. Upload at least one statement (to create your spreadsheet)
  2. Go to Dashboard and click "Setup Email Auto-Import"
  3. Follow the 6-step wizard to set up the monitoring script
  4. Click "Enable Email Auto-Import" in the app

How It Works

  • The script checks your Gmail every 5 minutes
  • It looks for emails from Scotiabank Bahamas or CIBC FirstCaribbean
  • Extracts transaction details and adds to "Live Transactions" sheets

Privacy Note: The script runs entirely in YOUR Google account. Your transaction data never touches our servers!

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed?

Problem: Authentication error during sign-in

Solution: Log out, then log back in. Make sure to check ALL the permission boxes when Google asks.

PDF Upload Issues

"Unable to detect bank type" - Make sure you're uploading an official PDF statement from a supported bank. Screenshots won't work.

"No transactions found" - The PDF might be encrypted or password-protected. Try downloading it again.

Email Auto-Import Issues

Emails not being imported:

  • Check that emails are unread (script only processes unread emails)
  • Verify the trigger is still active in Apps Script
  • Check your Apps Script execution log for errors

Google Sheets Issues

Formulas showing #REF! error - Close and reopen the spreadsheet. If it persists, re-upload your statement.

Can't find my spreadsheet - Search your Google Drive for "[Year] - 3 Bucket Budget"

Still Having Issues?

Contact support for further help.

Free vs Premium Features

3 Bucket Budget offers a free tier so you can try the app before subscribing. Here's what's included in each tier:

Feature Free Premium
PDF Upload Single upload Up to 6 batch
Statement Dates Previous month only Any historical
Excel Export
Google Sheets Export
Cash Entry
Email Auto-Import
Category Customization

Free Free Tier

Great for trying the app. Upload your most recent statement, export to Excel, and see how 3 Bucket Budget works.

Try Free

Premium ($5/month)

Full access with batch uploads, Google Sheets integration, Cash Entry, Email Auto-Import, and historical statement support. 1 month free trial!

Start Free Trial
Frequently Asked Questions

Is my financial data secure?

Yes! Transaction data is temporarily stored during review (30 min max), then permanently deleted after export. Your budget stays in YOUR Google Drive.

Can I upload multiple statements at once?

Yes! Premium users can upload up to 6 statements at once, review them all, then export everything with one click. Free tier users upload one statement at a time.

What happens if I upload the same statement twice?

The app detects duplicates and replaces the existing data. You won't get double transactions.

Can I edit transactions after they're in my spreadsheet?

Yes! Your spreadsheet is yours to edit however you like.

How accurate is the auto-categorization?

~90-95% for PDF uploads, ~80-90% for email auto-import. The system learns from your corrections!

Can I use this with other banks?

PDF Upload: Supports 5 banks — Scotiabank Bahamas, CIBC FirstCaribbean, RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas), Commonwealth Bank, and Fidelity Bank (Bahamas).

Email Auto-Import: Currently supports Scotiabank Bahamas and CIBC FirstCaribbean only. More banks coming soon.

How much does it cost?

$5/month with a 1-month free trial. Cancel anytime from your Gumroad account.

Can I categorize multiple transactions at once?

Yes! Use Smart Detection (automatically finds similar transactions) or Manual Selection (checkboxes + floating action bar).

Can I rename or hide categories?

Yes! Go to Settings → Category Names & Visibility to customize category names or hide ones you don't use.

What if I accidentally delete my budget spreadsheet?

First, check your Google Drive Trash — deleted files stay there until you empty it. If your spreadsheet is still in the Trash, you can restore it from there and everything will be back to normal.

If you've already emptied the Trash and the spreadsheet is gone, just upload a new statement or add a cash entry — the app will automatically create a fresh spreadsheet.

Important: If you want to start fresh on purpose, make sure to also empty the file from your Google Drive Trash. Otherwise, the app will continue updating the trashed file instead of creating a new one.

How does 3 Bucket Budget work?

Upload your bank statement as a PDF. The app automatically reads your transactions and categorizes them into spending categories like Rent, Groceries, Transportation, Entertainment, and more. You can review and adjust categories, then export your budget to Excel or Google Sheets.

What is the 3-Bucket System?

Based on the book "The 3-Bucket System: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck in the Bahamas", the 3-Bucket System organizes your savings and investments into three strategic buckets: Bucket 1 (Emergency Fund — bank savings for immediate emergencies), Bucket 2 (Short-Term Goals — credit union for 2-3 year goals), and Bucket 3 (Long-Term Wealth — investment account for retirement and building wealth).

How does Smart Categorization work?

Smart Categorization learns from your corrections. When you recategorize a transaction, the app remembers that merchant for future uploads. Over time, fewer manual adjustments are needed as the system adapts to your spending patterns.

Can I track cash spending alongside bank transactions?

Yes, with the Premium plan. The Cash Entry feature lets you manually add cash transactions that don't appear on your bank statement, so your budget reflects all spending — not just what shows up on your statement.

Still Need Help?

If you couldn't find the answer to your question, please contact support.

We typically respond within 24-48 hours.

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