---
slug: /
sidebar_position: 1
title: 'Introduction'
---

### Add a bank account

When first opening the app, it will ask you to add a bank account. You can find out how to do that [here](Accounts/addaccount)

### Set a budget

Once onboarding is complete, you will see the budget page. Some basic categories are already for you, but you can add more by clicking the arrow on a category group.

Create your first budget by entering amounts into the "budgeted" column of the categories you want to track. Your starting balance will be available as money to budget (see [how budgeting works](/Budgeting/howitworks/)).

### Check back throughout the month

That's it! After you've made some more purchases, check back and [import your transactions](/Accounts/Transactions/importing-trans/). After categorizing them, you can see how your spending has impacted your budget.

Related reading: [importing transactions](/Accounts/Transactions/importing-trans/), [how budgeting works](/Budgeting/howitworks/), [managing categories](/Budgeting/categories/)

### Useful Links

Below is a list of useful links related to Actual Budget.

- [The open source announcement](https://actualbudget.com/open-source)
- [GitHub for Actual](https://github.com/actualbudget) - The source code for Actual, a local-first personal finance tool.
- [GitHub for Actual Server](https://github.com/actualbudget/actual-server) - The syncing server with web client included . All you need to run Actual.
- [GitHub repository of releases of Actual and Actual packages](https://github.com/actualbudget/releases)
- The official Docker image:
[https://hub.docker.com/r/jlongster/actual-server](https://hub.docker.com/r/jlongster/actual-server)

### Guides

- [Deploying Actual (youtube video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ho_oA4MwXo) credit Marc Seitz
- [YNAB4 User Guide](https://hananhazime.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/ynab-print.pdf)

### Places to self host Actual

- [Fly.io](https://www.fly.io/)
- [PikaPods (one click)](https://www.pikapods.com/)
- [Unraid](https://unraid.net/)
- Docker

### Misc

- [James talking about Actual on the Change Log Podcast](https://changelog.com/podcast/495)
