Categories are the foundation of tracking your finances in Financio. Every transaction you record is assigned to a category, making it easy to see where your money comes from and where it goes.
Income vs Expense Categories
Financio separates categories into two types:
- Income - Money coming in (salary, investments, refunds)
- Expenses - Money going out (rent, groceries, entertainment)
Each type has its own set of categories, and you can switch between them using the tabs at the top of the Categories page.
Category Hierarchy
Categories in Financio support a three-level hierarchy:
- Parent categories - Broad groupings like "Food & Drink" or "Transportation"
- Subcategories - Specific items within a parent, like "Restaurants" or "Car Expenses"
- Sub-subcategories - Even more specific items, like "Fine Dining" or "Petrol"
This structure lets you see high-level spending patterns while still capturing detailed breakdowns when you need them.
Category Presets
When you first use Financio, you'll be asked to choose a category preset — a ready-made set of categories tailored to different levels of detail:
- Simple (~22 categories) — Top-level categories only, no subcategories
- Standard (~110 categories) — Two levels with common subcategories (recommended)
- Detailed (~180 categories) — Three levels for granular tracking
You can also skip the preset and create your own categories from scratch. See Category Presets for more details on choosing and changing presets.
Default Categories
The categories below are examples from the Standard preset. The exact categories vary depending on which preset you choose.
Income Categories
| Parent | Subcategories |
|---|---|
| Salary / Wages | Base Pay, Bonuses, Overtime, Commissions |
| Investments | Dividends, Interest, Capital Gains, Rental Income |
| Government Assistance | Social Security, Pension, Family Tax Benefit |
| Other Income | Gifts, Reimbursements, Tax Refund, Cashback |
Expense Categories
| Parent | Subcategories |
|---|---|
| Housing | Rent, Mortgage, Council Rates, Repairs |
| Transportation | Car Payment, Petrol, Registration, Public Transport |
| Food & Drink | Groceries, Restaurants, Coffee, Take Away |
| Utilities | Electricity, Gas, Water, Internet, Phone |
| Health & Wellness | Doctor, Dentist, Medications, Gym |
| Insurance | Health, Car, Home, Life |
| Entertainment | Subscriptions, Events, Hobbies, Movies |
| And more... |
Customise to Your Needs
The default categories are just a starting point. You can rename, reorganise, hide, or delete any category, and create new ones that match your lifestyle. You can also add a third level of subcategories—for example, add "Fine Dining" and "Fast Food" under "Restaurants".
How Categories Are Used
Once set up, categories help you:
- Categorise transactions - Assign each transaction to the appropriate category
- Create rules - Automatically categorise recurring transactions from the same merchant
- View reports - See spending breakdowns by category in charts and reports
- Set budgets - Track spending against category-based budgets (coming soon)
Next Steps
- Category Presets - Choose and change your category preset
- Managing Categories - Learn how to create, edit, and organise your categories