Getting started with TallyMint

This guide takes you from a fresh install to a working setup: an encrypted data file, your accounts, a few transactions, and the recurring bills that power TallyMint's cash flow projections. It takes about fifteen minutes, and you can do all of it during the free trial.

Step 1: Create your data file and master password

Everything in TallyMint lives in a single encrypted file on your own computer. The first time you open the app, you choose where that file goes and set a master password. The password encrypts the file, so pick something strong and memorable: there is no cloud account and no password reset, which is exactly what keeps your data private, but it also means the password is yours to keep safe.

Fresh installs default to a Documents\TallyMint folder, and that is a fine place to leave it. The file can live anywhere, though, including a synced folder like Google Drive or OneDrive if you want it mirrored to another machine. Because the file is encrypted at rest, syncing it does not expose your data to the sync provider.

Keep your master password safe. It is the only key to your file. Store it somewhere secure, like a password manager. If you lose it, the encrypted data cannot be recovered.

Step 2: Add your accounts and opening balances

Next, add the accounts you want to track: checking, savings, credit cards, loans, and investment accounts. For each one, set an opening balance that matches the real account on the day you start. The opening balance is the anchor for the running balance in the register, so getting it right up front means every later total lines up with your bank.

If you are coming from Quicken or another desktop finance app, you can skip most of the manual entry. Import your history first with the QIF import guide, and your accounts and transactions come across together.

Step 3: Enter transactions

Open an account to see its register and start recording transactions. The register works like a checkbook register: date, payee, category, memo, an optional check number, a payment or deposit amount, and a running balance.

As you type a payee, TallyMint suggests names you have used before. Pick a suggestion and it fills in the category and amount you normally use for that payee, so repeat entries take a couple of keystrokes. You can also split a single transaction across several categories, and record transfers between two of your own accounts.

The TallyMint transaction register showing dated rows with payee, category, amount, and a running balance.

The transaction register, with a running balance on every row.

Step 4: Set up recurring bills and the projections calendar

Recurring bills and income are what make TallyMint's forecast useful. Add each regular bill, subscription, loan payment, and paycheck, along with its amount and schedule. TallyMint uses these to project your balance forward and to fill the Bills and Projections calendar, so you can see what is due and when.

Each recurring bill can optionally auto-enter on its due date, which drops the transaction into your register automatically so your forecast stays accurate without manual upkeep. With your recurring items in place, TallyMint charts your projected balance 30, 60, or 90 days ahead and shows how much you have left to spend before your next paycheck once upcoming bills are covered. For the full picture, see the guide on forecasting your bank balance.

A TallyMint cash flow projection chart showing the account balance rising on paydays and stepping down as bills are due over the next several weeks.

The cash flow projection, built from your recurring bills and income.

Step 5: Turn on automatic backups

TallyMint can back up your file for you. In Settings → Backups, turn on auto-backup so a copy is saved when you unlock the app, at most once every 24 hours. Backups default to a "backups" folder next to your data file, and you can point them somewhere else and choose how many to keep. You can also create a backup on demand with Create Backup Now.

Tip: Backups plus a synced folder are a good combination. Auto-backup guards against mistakes inside the app, and a synced folder guards against losing the machine.

Step 6: Lock the file when you are done

When you step away, lock the file so it is protected behind your master password again. Use Lock Database Now in Settings → General, and TallyMint prompts for the password the next time it opens. Locking is instant and does not touch your data; it just closes access until you unlock again.

Where to go next

With the basics in place, three guides help you get more out of TallyMint:

Import a Quicken QIF file to bring your history across from Quicken or another desktop app.
Set up bank sync with SimpleFIN so new transactions arrive automatically and match what you have entered.
Track investments with holdings, cost basis, and capital gains.

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