You can manually add any expense to Halfway:

1. Go to the Transactions page.
2. Click the + Add Transaction button.
3. Enter the amount, description, and date.
4. Choose who paid and how to split it.
5. Click Save.

Every transaction in Halfway has a type that determines who sees it and how it's split:

• Shared: Visible to both partners. The cost is split according to your settings. Use this for rent, groceries, or dates.
• Mine (Personal): Only visible to you. It does not affect the shared balance. Use this for personal hobbies or gifts.
• Theirs: Only visible to your partner (if they added it). You generally won't see these unless you are viewing the "All" filter on a shared budget.

Categories help you see where your money is going. Halfway comes with standard categories like "Housing," "Food," and "Transportation."

You can change a transaction's category by clicking on it and selecting a new one from the dropdown list. Consistent categorization helps your Budget and Reports be more accurate.

Stop categorizing the same transactions over and over. Transaction rules automatically apply settings to matching transactions.

Creating a Basic Rule

1. Go to Settings > Organization > Rules.
2. Click Create Rule.
3. Enter a pattern (e.g., "Starbucks") - this will match any transaction description containing that text.
4. Select the category (e.g., "Dining") you want to apply automatically.
5. Choose the split type (Shared, Personal, etc.).

Tip: You can also create a rule directly from any transaction by clicking the Create Rule button in the transaction details.

Live Preview & Apply to Existing

As you type the pattern, Halfway shows you how many existing transactions match. You can choose to apply the rule to these existing transactions immediately, or only to future transactions.

Important: When you apply a rule to existing transactions, it only affects transactions from your current unsettled period. Transactions from before your last settlement are never modified - this protects the financial records that you and your partner already agreed on.

Advanced Options

Click Advanced Options to access powerful automation features:

• Payer Assignment: For shared transactions, automatically set which partner paid (useful for transactions that always come from one person's account).
• Amount Range: Only match transactions within a specific dollar amount range. For example, match "Grocery Store" only if the amount is between $50-$200.
• Auto-Tagging: Automatically add tags to matching transactions. Great for tracking projects, trips, or reimbursable expenses.
• Priority: When multiple rules could match the same transaction, the rule with the highest priority wins (default is 0). Higher numbers = higher priority.

Rule Matching Order

Rules are evaluated in order of priority (highest first). If a transaction matches multiple rules of the same priority, the most recently created rule applies.

Halfway comes with predefined categories organized by groups:

• Essentials: Housing, Utilities, Groceries, Healthcare
• Lifestyle: Dining, Entertainment, Shopping, Travel
• Financial: Savings, Debt Payments, Subscriptions

Creating Your Own Categories

If the predefined categories don't fit your needs, you can create custom ones:

1. Go to Settings > Organization > Categories.
2. Click Create Custom Category.
3. Enter a name (e.g., "Pet Expenses," "Baby Costs").
4. Set a custom split ratio if you want this category to split differently than your household default.

Custom Split Ratios

Both predefined and custom categories can have their own split ratios. For example, your household default might be 60/40 based on income, but "Date Night" expenses could be split 50/50, and "Work Lunches" could be 100% personal.

For a full walkthrough (with video) on setting a different split percentage per category, see "Setting a different split percentage for each category" in the Splitting section.

Managing Categories

Custom categories can be deleted at any time. Predefined categories cannot be deleted, but you can adjust their split ratios.

Need to override the split for just one transaction? See "Setting a custom split ratio" in the Splitting section.

Tags are perfect for tracking spending that spans multiple categories. For example, a vacation might include:

• Flights (Transportation)
• Hotels (Travel)
• Restaurants (Dining)
• Activities (Entertainment)

Instead of hunting through multiple categories, tag them all "Hawaii Trip" and see the total spend in one place.

Creating Tags

1. Go to Settings > Organization > Tags.
2. Click New Tag.
3. Enter a name (e.g., "Work Reimbursable," "Kitchen Renovation").
4. Choose a color to make it easy to spot.

Applying Tags

You can tag transactions in several ways:

• Manually: Open any transaction and add tags from the Tags field.
• Automatically: Set up a rule to auto-tag matching transactions (great for ongoing projects).
• Bulk tagging: Select multiple transactions on the Transactions page and apply a tag to all at once.

Common Use Cases

• Vacations: Tag all trip-related expenses to see total cost.
• Reimbursements: Tag expenses you'll be paid back for.
• Projects: Track renovation, wedding planning, or moving costs.
• Tax deductions: Tag business expenses or charitable donations.