Learning Center
Learn to budget paycheck to paycheck
Practical, step-by-step tutorials for getting the most out of Alto — whether you're setting up your first budget or fine-tuning a system you already trust. Pick where you are below.
Start here
Set up your first budget
Connect or add your accounts, set your pay schedule, and assign your first paycheck — about 10 minutes.
The routine
Budget paycheck to paycheck
The weekly habit that keeps you ahead of bills when money comes in one paycheck at a time.
The method
Understand envelope budgeting
Why giving every dollar a job works, and how Alto's envelopes make it automatic.
The basics in one minute
Ready to Assign
Money in your tracked cash accounts that hasn't been given a job yet. The goal is to get this to zero each pay period.
Envelope
How much you've set aside for a specific expense in a specific window — like $120 for groceries this pay period.
Pay period
The stretch between paychecks. Alto plans around it instead of forcing everything into a calendar month.
Category frequency
How often an expense happens (weekly, biweekly, 1st & 15th, monthly), which decides how Alto generates its envelopes.