Categorization Modal

Add a New Category Label From Inside Categorization

When the right Personal Category doesn't exist yet, the modal lets you create it in place — without leaving the row, opening a separate sheet, or breaking your workflow.

Why This Feature Matters

Sometimes the label you need is genuinely missing from the Personal Category dropdown. When that happens, picking a bad stand-in and planning to fix it later almost never works — it just creates quietly incorrect reports.

The in-modal add-label path lets you create the right label the moment you need it, so the row gets the honest category from day one.

A label library that stays clean enough to trust is worth more than one that's fast to build.
1Confirm the Label Really Needs to Exist

Before creating anything, ask:

  • Is this a recurring, meaningful category that will appear in future months?
  • Or is this a one-time row I'm trying to give a unique name to avoid a harder decision?

If the answer is "it will genuinely come up again and has a clear financial meaning" — create it. If it's a one-off, use the closest existing Personal Category and add context via the Memo field instead.

When Memo is better
A single unusual transaction — like a one-time appliance repair — doesn't need its own permanent label. Assign it to Home Maintenance and add a Memo: "dishwasher repair, June 2025". The Memo lives on the row; a new label clutters the Personal Category dropdown forever.
2Open the Add-Label Flow

In the Personal Category column of the row you're working on, open the category dropdown. When the label you need isn't there, use the + Add new category option at the bottom of the list.

This opens the label creation form without closing the modal or losing the row context — you stay exactly where you were.

3Choose the Correct Label Type

Every Personal Category belongs to one of two families. Choose the right one — a label in the wrong family still creates report confusion even if the name is perfect:

+ Add New Personal Category
4Name the Label Clearly

A good Personal Category name:

Avoid
  • Misc
  • Other stuff
  • Jul 2025 thing
  • Expense2
  • Groceries (New)
Use instead
  • Home Office Supplies
  • Pet Care
  • Professional Development
  • Vehicle Maintenance
  • Children's Activities

The name will appear in reports months from now. If you wouldn't recognize it out of context on a future report, it's not specific enough.

5Create and Apply to the Row

Once the name and type are set, create the label. The new Personal Category becomes available immediately — both on the current row and in the dropdown for every future row you work on.

If the flow offers to auto-apply the new label to the row you were on when you opened the add flow, use that option — it keeps you from having to re-select it manually.

"The real value is not speed alone — it is a label library that stays clean enough to trust later."
Money Mastery — Categorization Modal