To sync data and share data with multiple users, you need to share a Google account. This ensures privacy when sharing financial data. Since Cashew supports syncing of data with a Google account, a shared Google account will share data between multiple Cashew apps that use the same account.
Currently, Cashew does not support other methods of syncing due to privacy concerns and the complexity involved. Maintaining servers for this purpose is expensive and outside the scope of this app.
If you're experiencing syncing issues between devices; consider the following:
Make sure you are logged in to Google Drive with the same account on all devices. Also ensure syncing between devices is enabled. Head to More, Account, login if needed, and tap the Sync/Devices button. Here, Sync Data can be toggled.
Syncing involves two steps: upload and download. Both steps must occur for changes to reflect across platforms. This allows you to safely sync using your personal Google Drive, eliminating the need for a centralized server and ensuring your data is not shared with us or any third party.
You can force a sync by:
Each device needs to upload changes before they can be downloaded to another device. Therefore, you will need to first sync from one device to upload changes, and then sync on the target to download changes.
Note: auto login is not supported on the web app. This is a limitation imposed by Google. You will need to be sign-in manually each time to ensure syncing is properly executed.
Race conditions can occur and data can becomes out of sync between platforms. Cashew tries its best to ensure it updates data using the latest modified time and propagates changes across platforms. In the case where 2 (or more) devices are out of sync, you can force reset one by restoring a backup and removing all active sync devices.
First, create a backup (using the provided cloud backup service or local backups) on the device with the correct data and restore it (via the cloud or using a local backup). Now, open the Sync/Devices page in More, Account and delete all device sync backups. This will ensure that after restoring a backup, a sync will not occur using old out-dated data. On the out-of-sync target device, restore the cloud (or local) backup. This will ensure all data is exactly the same on both devices.
Note: Restoring a backup will always overwrite all current data on target device. Before overwriting data, it is always recommended to keep an extra backup.
To prevent data from being downloaded and synced right after a backup is restored (cloud or local): open the Sync/Devices page in More, Account and delete all device sync backups. This will ensure that after restoring a backup, data updated from other platforms will not be restored. After this had been completed, the backup can be restored.
Create a separate account specifically for tracking credit card spending. Every time you make a purchase using that credit card, you would add a transaction to that account. You can transfer amounts between accounts to add credit card payments or apply a balance correction.
In the "Account Details" page (tapping the account twice on the homepage account switcher sections), set the cycle time range for reports to reflect the spending from your credit card statement.
Utilize the "All Spending" page to view past spending ranges associated with your credit card account. You can apply filters to only select that account.
Create a new budget with a set limit, and set the account to the respective credit card account. You can set the start date to the date of your statement so that the totals within the budget history will match that of your statement. Pay attention to the set period dates - this will repeat automatically for the set time range.
Note: you will need more than one account created within Cashew
When there is more than one account created within Cashew, Cashew allows you to transfer funds. There are three primary ways of opening the transfer popup:
You can create a repetitive transfer by first adding a transfer transaction, then editing it to a 'repetitive' or 'upcoming' transaction type. Cashew will prompt you to change both transfer transactions and the transfer will behave as such.
The next repetitive transaction in the sequence will show up when you mark the current one as paid.
By default, overdue transactions (when the current date is past the set transactions date) are automatically paid. You can change this behavior by heading to More, Settings & Customization, More Options, Transactions: Auto Pay Transactions. You can press the action button in the transaction entry to mark it as paid immediately. Then it will create the next transaction in the cycle.
To create all future transactions, they will need to be marked as paid. By default they are marked as paid to the current date, not when the transaction is due. This can be changed by heading to More, Settings & Customization, More Options, Transactions: Paid Date set to Transaction Date. Now the upcoming repetitive transaction can be marked as paid and it will maintain its original due date, while creating the next in the sequence. These paid transactions will now count towards account and budget totals since it has been marked as paid.
Cashew does not offer transaction templates; however, frequently used transactions can be quickly added using the following methods:
Tip: You can create duplicate transactions set to the current date and time by long pressing the duplicate option.
Tip: When editing the details of a transaction, to quickly set the date of a transaction to the current date and time, long press the date and time edit entry.
You can import a CSV (Excel) file list of transactions into Cashew. You can import data in Cashew by heading to More, Settings & Customization, and scrolling down to "Import & Export". To import data into Cashew from other applications you will need to be able to extract data that can be manipulated into a CSV file Cashew understands. To do this:
Use the provided CSV templates within the app for importing data. You may need to copy your data using Sheets or Excel into the template from an existing CSV file to the respective columns (especially if migrating from another application) to ensure the template format is used. This ensures a unified format that Cashew can understand. Extra information below is provided on specific formatting of certain types of data.
To get access to the Google Sheet template, please make a copy. Follow this guide.
You can import data in two ways:
Note: An import cannot be undone. Make sure to keep a backup of your data to revert an import. See: Cloud and Local Backups
When importing income, use a positive amount; for expenses, use a negative amount.
Cashew will attempt date parsing in various formats, but the official CSV format for dates provided in the templates is recommended for accuracy.
The corresponding subcategories must exist in Cashew before the import occurs. If there is an existing subcategory, Cashew will prioritize that subcategory over creating a default category with that name when importing. Therefore, subcategories can be imported using the 'category' column.
Note: As an alternative, after importing, missing categories will automatically be created as main categories. These main categories can be converted into subcategories: edit the category, and select "Convert Into Subcategory".
To import transfers, your export source (original application) needs to be able to convert transfer transactions into single income/expense transactions. A single transfer would consist of 2 transactions, an outgoing account and incoming account transaction. This would be the universal format. Once this is done, Cashew can import the transactions. These imported transfer transactions should be under one 'category'. Now merge these transactions with Merge Category into the Balance Correction category within Cashew.
Note: the 'Balance Correction' category may not exist. It is automatically created when at least one transfer or balance correction is made within Cashew. So if it is missing, create a transfer or balance correction on an account.
To set the accounts used in the net worth calculation on the homepage, long press the homepage section. You can then select the accounts to include along with the time range used when calculating Net Worth.
You can also edit home page sections by tapping the respective section while on the Edit Home page in Cashew.
To exclude a transaction amount from all totals but still keep a transaction entry, you can edit the transaction of interest, scroll down and select More Options and toggle Include Amount. This setting is only available for Default transaction types.
To add to a budget, goal, or long-term loan without impacting your account balance, create a separate account dedicated to tracking your budget, goal, or long-term loan contribution transactions. Transactions added to this account will not affect other account balances. Once you create a transaction added to this extra account, you can organize it into your budget, goal or long-term loan of your choice.
To archive a budget, goal, or long-term loan you need to visit the edit data page for each. To visit the edit data page head to More, Budgets/Goals/Loans and tapping the 'Pencil' icon in the top right if needed. To archive a budget/goal/long-term loan you can toggle the 'eye' icon. This will make the archived item always listed at the end of lists during selections and fade out the option.
To remove a pinned budget, goal, or long-term loan on the homepage, you will need to edit the home page section separately.
Cashew prioritizes efficient and straightforward transaction logging. If you need to divide a transaction among various categories, you can create separate transactions for each detail, enabling you to tailor your level of detail while maintaining a simple interface for all. Although it doesn't natively support splitting transactions across multiple categories, you have the freedom to log your spending as you see fit by adding individual transactions for each detail you wish to track.
Cashew only supports one currency per account. You can change the currency by editing an account.
To change the primary account's currency by heading to More, Accounts; the starred account represents the primary account and selected currency of the application. Cashew will convert all currencies to this account.
However, if you need to enter a different currency with automatic conversion into another account, you can use the currency conversion button when entering an amount.
Make sure the primary account is selected to the currency you want to convert to. Then, select another account when entering an amount, and convert the amount back to the primary account with one tap.
In the example below, 'Bank (USD)' is our primary account, and we want to convert 50 EUR to USD using the conversion rate. We can do this by selecting 'Other (EUR)' and tapping the conversion button.
Using the currency conversion button will allow you to store the converted currency using the conversion rate at the current point in time, and to the target account's currency rate. Therefore if the currency rate changes, the converted amount will not since it has already been converted and stored in the transaction at that point in time.
You can customize the currency conversion rates by heading to More, Accounts, Exchange Rates. If a custom currency is not set, exchange rates are used and updated daily from https://github.com/fawazahmed0/exchange-api.
To upgrade to Cashew Pro Lifetime from a subscription you will need to cancel your current subscription. Once the term ends, you will be able to purchase Cashew Pro Lifetime; or any other subscription option. This is to ensure each user gets the full term of Cashew Pro they have paid for.
Each platform operates with its own billing system (iOS and Android), therefore it would need to be purchased separately on each platform. Every purchase of Cashew Pro supports the app's development.
A purchased Cashew Pro license can be shared between any number of devices using the same Apple ID Account through the App Store on iOS or can be shared between any number of devices using the same Google account through the Play Store on Android. A Cashew Pro license is linked to the account used on the Google Play or App Store, not to the account used within Cashew - keep this in mind if you are trying to restore a license purchase.
The web app does not support Cashew Pro.
A Cashew Pro license is linked to the Google Account used on the Google Play Store when the purchase was made. It is not necessarily related to the account used in the Cashew app. When restoring a purchase on a different device, please make sure you are logged into the same Google account in the Play Store that the purchase was made on for both devices and it is set as the primary account (the first account) on the Google Play Store.
Within the application you can tap 'restore purchases' to ping Google Services about your purchase. Again, ensure you are signed in to the correct Google Account on the Play Store and it is selected as your primary account on the Google Play Store, not within Cashew. The account within Cashew does not impact the restoring of a license purchase - it is only related to cloud backups. You may need to contact Google Play support to inquire about your purchase if it was not successfully processed.
Cashew offers 2 methods of backups: Google Drive Cloud Backups and Local Data File Backups. To create/import backups head to More, Settings & Customization, under the 'Backups' section.
For cloud backups, Cashew uses an application data folder inside your Google Drive and does not have access to any other files. The application data folder is a special hidden folder that Cashew uses to store application-specific data and backups.
Note: Exporting and Importing CSV files as backups is NOT recommended. Cashew does not export all app data nor does it import all app data when using CSV Importing and Exporting. For example, app settings are not exported to the CSV.
To delete all data in the app, go to More, About Cashew, and scroll down to find Delete All Data.
This process will prompt you to delete sync data if you do not want it to be restored upon login.
After logging in again, Cashew will attempt to restore sync backups. If you do not want your synced devices to be restored, you will need to delete them. Navigate to the account page, tap on Sync/Devices, and delete the sync backups.
Google Drive is used by Cashew to store sync data and cloud backups.
To delete all hidden Cashew sync data through Google Drive:
Any connected app data is not available to be viewed by users using Google Drive. This is to ensure app data does not get tampered with and is a limitation imposed by Google. You can only remove all your app data through Google Drive management, not view it. If you need to download a backup stored on your drive, Cashew allows you to download these backups within the app itself.
To customize the navigation tabs, long press each one to select the page of preference. You cannot change the last tab.
Note: You can only customize tabs while in mobile layout. When in fullscreen/landscape the side navigation menu cannot be customized.
When a transaction is selected you can duplicate the transaction (in the selected transaction top app bar). To duplicate the transactions to the current date and time, you can long press the duplicate option.
You can also quickly make a copy of common transactions by long pressing the plus button. You will see a list of commonly used transactions, tapping them will duplicate the transaction. If the amount differs, long press on the chip to customize the amount.
Most UI elements can be 'long pressed' (a press and hold) to edit or perform an extra action. For example, long pressing a category when selecting one during a 'Select Category' popup, will allow you to edit that category.
Most amounts within Cashew can be 'long pressed' (a press and hold) to copy the amount. When adding a transaction or entering an amount, you can long press to 'copy' or 'paste' amounts from your clipboard.
To create transactions automatically, you can use the App Links API. The full documentation can be found here: https://github.com/jameskokoska/Cashew?tab=readme-ov-file#app-links.
Cashew is a budget tracking application after all, so let's take a deep dive into learning how to create and manage a budget within Cashew in detail.
To create a budget, first open the Budgets page. Head to More, Budgets, and tap the (+) button.
There are two types of budgets: Added Only budget and an All Transactions budget. This cannot be changed after the budget is created. However, you can create multiple budgets within Cashew.
Added Only Budget:
All Transactions Budget:
You can also select if you want to budget for savings (positive cash flow, such as income) or budget for negative cash flow, such as expenses. Set a name for the budget, color, budget amount, and the start day and period.
The cycle of a budget will always reset and past budget periods can be viewed. If you want a monthly repetitive budget to start on the 21st of the month, select any date with the day of the 21 (e.g., September 21) and [ / 1 month ] as the time frame. Cashew will show you the current period based on the current date from the start date you set.
To set a custom time period for a budget, change the time frame from the default [ month] to [ custom ]. Custom time periods do not repeat.
To set the period, you can choose a custom budget period (time range) or an automatically recurring cycle, such as every 2 weeks or every month.
For an all transactions budget, you can select the transactions to automatically include. For example, if you would like to include income in an expense budget (which will decrease the total spend, since the opposite polarity of transactions are included), you can select Income under Transactions to Include. Tap the (i) to read about each Transactions to Include filter. You can also select which categories to include or exclude from an all transactions budget.
Each transaction can also be manually excluded from an all transactions budget. To do this, edit the transaction of interest, scroll down, tap More Options, and select the budget you would like to exclude this transaction from.
Once you create a budget, you can set up smaller 'sub-budgets' or, as Cashew calls them, Category Spending Goals to break down your spending for each category within an overall budget.
To add category spending goals, edit the budget and tap Set Category Spending Goals. Here you can set a percentage goal (percentage of the budget total) for each category or an absolute spending goal (actual amount of money). You can also apply these goals to subcategories and main categories. By long-pressing a category entry in the budget spending overview page below the pie chart, you can quickly modify the category spending goal to suit your spending needs.
Cashew adds useful indicators to help you track your spending trajectory. Within a budget spending breakdown, you will see a line graph showing the amount spent versus date through the budget period.
A dashed line is drawn on the current date and the average amount spent per day up to the current day. The intersection indicates where your spending should be at that given time for a budget to stay on track.
You can tap the history icon to see past budget period breakdowns. You can only view the history of non-custom period budgets.
A "balance correction" within Cashew is a powerful special type of transaction. It is a transaction that is not globally categorized by Cashew as Income or Expense. By default, this special category does not exist - to let Cashew create it, edit an account and perform a Transfer or Correct Total Balance.
Once it is created, it can be edited by the user and will still maintain its properties. The balance correction category has the following details:
The balance correction category is primarily used in Cashew for Transfers and Balance Corrections of accounts - since these operations are not directly related to income or expenses. However, this category can manually be used to track refunds/returns/payments etc. - or transactions that would not be otherwise categorized as an income or expense directly.
Balance corrections also allow users to track credit card accounts and payments without affecting incoming or outgoing totals produced by categorized income and expense transactions. See: Tracking Credit Card Spending with Cashew.
Questions? Feel free to reach out on email: dapperappdeveloper@gmail.com