# Project Budget
A Project Budget plans expected purchase items and other expenses for a project. It is separate from the Budget Report, which compares planned budget against actual spend.
Overview & Access
A project budget is created automatically when you save a new Project. To open it:
1. Open the project view.
2. Click the more menu (⋮).
3. Choose Project Budget.
There is no separate Project Budget list in the left menu — budgets are always accessed from the parent project.
> Screenshot pending — `project/images/project-budget.webp`
View fields
| **Field** | **Shows** |
|-----------|-----------|
| Title | Budget name. |
| Project | Parent project. |
| Total Budget | Sum of all budget lines. |
View line tables
- Purchase Items — Item, Quantity, Unit, Project Value, Project Budget
- Other Expenses — Account, Project Value, Project Budget
Quick Start
1. Create or open a project.
2. From the more menu, click Project Budget.
3. Add lines under Purchase Items and Other Expenses.
4. Click Update — Project Budget (header total) recalculates from line totals.
5. Run the Budget Report to compare plan vs actual.
| **Field** | **Required** | **Description** |
|-----------|--------------|-----------------|
| Budget Name | Yes | Name for this budget (auto-created as "{project name} budget" on new projects). |
| Project | Yes | Project this budget belongs to. |
| Project Budget | Auto | Total of all line budgets (read-only, calculated). |
Purchase Items
| **Column** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Item | Inventory item to purchase. |
| Quantity | Planned quantity. |
| Unit | Unit of measure (defaults from item). |
| Project Budget | Planned budget amount for this line. |
| Project Value | Estimated value for this line. |
Other Expenses
| **Column** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Item | Expense account. |
| Project Budget | Planned budget for this expense. |
| Project Value | Estimated value for this expense. |
Actions & Status
Toolbar: Edit, Delete, Clone, Print.
More menu
| **Action** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Activate | Activates the budget when inactive. |
| Suspend | Suspends an active budget. |
Example
Budget planning then variance check
1. Open project Warehouse Expansion → Project Budget.
2. Add purchase items: steel beams, roofing sheets, labour hire with budget amounts.
3. Add other expenses: site overhead, transport under expense accounts.
4. Save the budget.
5. As purchase invoices and expenses are posted to the project, open Budget Report from the project left nav to see Budget vs Actual vs Variation by category.
FAQ
What is the difference between Project Budget and Budget Report?
Project Budget is where you enter planned amounts. Budget Report compares those plans to actual purchases, inventory, and expenses.
Why was a budget created when I saved a new project?
The system creates a default budget automatically so you can start planning immediately.
What do Project Value and Project Budget mean on a line?
Project Budget is the planned cost. Project Value is an additional estimated value field on the line for reference.
Which transactions feed the Budget Report actual column?
Approved purchase invoices (service and inventory lines), consumable issues, and expenses linked to the project. Draft documents are excluded.
Can I have multiple budgets for one project?
Each project has one budget record created automatically at project save. Use budget item and expense lines within that single budget for all planning categories.
Why is Actual higher than Budget on a line?
Posted transactions exceeded the planned amount. Review open purchase orders and expenses, or revise the budget line if the estimate changed.
Can I suspend a project budget?
Yes. Suspend hides the budget from active planning views; Activate restores it. Suspension does not delete budget lines or actual history.
Do inventory items and service items use separate budget sections?
Yes. Budget Report shows Service Items, Inventory Items, and Other Expenses in separate sections matching the budget form tabs.
Must I enter a budget before posting purchases?
No. Purchases and expenses can post to the project without budget lines — the Budget Report shows zero budget and full actual until you add planned amounts.