> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.setaside.money/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get started

> Connect your data, create Expenses, and set up your first funding plan.

Get your first Expenses funded and learn the number you will check each day.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Set Aside Money">
    Go to [app.setaside.money](https://app.setaside.money) and sign in. Confirm whether you are setting up a personal or shared budgeting account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your financial data">
    Choose the data connection supported by your plan: Plaid or your own supported connection, such as SimpleFIN. Review the accounts included and let the first sync finish.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your Expenses and Goals">
    Start with the costs you already know: rent, groceries, subscriptions, insurance, and savings. Enter targets or fixed contributions and review amounts and dates.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your funding schedules">
    Add the paydays that should fund your plan. Assign each Expense to the schedules that should contribute. Multiple paychecks can use different schedules.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check funded balances and Free-to-Spend">
    A target is what you want to cover. A balance is what you have set aside. Review actual funding and use the app's Free-to-Spend number when checking your plan.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review transactions">
    Assign purchases to the Expenses that cover them. Add merchant rules deliberately when you want repeat activity handled consistently.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What comes next

[Priority Funding](/guides/priority-funding), [Fund Ahead](/guides/fund-ahead), and [Expense Suggestions](/guides/expense-suggestions) features add more control over allocation, reserves, and overlooked costs.

Read [how funding works](/guides/funding-preview) to understand funding order and actual coverage.

## Building an integration instead?

Follow the [developer API quickstart](/api-reference/quickstart) for scoped keys and your first request.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.