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Creating Custom Spending Categories

While Whistl automatically categorises transactions, custom categories let you organise spending in ways that match your personal financial goals. Track specific expenses, monitor progress toward targets, and gain deeper insights into where your money goes. This guide covers everything from creating categories to advanced organisation strategies.

Why Custom Categories Matter

Custom categories provide benefits beyond default categorisation:

  • Personal relevance: Categories that match your life and goals
  • Better tracking: Monitor specific spending you care about
  • Goal alignment: Link categories to Dream Board goals
  • Improved insights: See patterns automatic categorisation misses
  • Accountability: Share specific categories with partners

Default Categories Overview

Whistl starts with these built-in categories:

Spending Categories

  • Gambling: Casinos, betting, poker, lottery
  • Groceries: Supermarkets, food shopping
  • Dining: Restaurants, cafes, takeaways
  • Entertainment: Movies, games, streaming, events
  • Shopping: Retail, clothing, electronics
  • Transport: Fuel, public transport, rideshare
  • Bills & Utilities: Rent, electricity, internet, phone
  • Healthcare: Medical, pharmacy, fitness
  • Personal Care: Hair, beauty, grooming
  • Education: Courses, books, training
  • Gifts & Donations: Presents, charity
  • Fees & Charges: Bank fees, interest

Income Categories

  • Salary: Regular employment income
  • Freelance: Contract or gig work
  • Investments: Dividends, interest
  • Refunds: Returns, reimbursements
  • Other Income: Miscellaneous income

Creating Your First Custom Category

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Open the Whistl app
  2. Tap Settings (gear icon)
  3. Select Categories from the menu
  4. Tap + Add Custom Category
  5. Enter category name (e.g., "Sports Betting Losses")
  6. Choose category type:
    • Spending (money out)
    • Income (money in)
    • Transfer (between accounts)
  7. Select a colour for the category
  8. Choose an icon (optional)
  9. Set parent category (optional, for subcategories)
  10. Tap Save

Popular Custom Category Ideas

Get inspired by categories other Whistl users create:

Gambling Recovery Categories

  • "Gambling Losses - Sports"
  • "Gambling Losses - Casino"
  • "Gambling Losses - Racing"
  • "Recovery Expenses" (therapy, support groups)
  • "Money Saved from Not Gambling"

Goal-Specific Categories

  • "House Deposit Savings"
  • "Emergency Fund Contributions"
  • "Holiday Fund"
  • "Debt Repayment - Credit Card"
  • "Debt Repayment - Personal Loan"

Lifestyle Categories

  • "Date Nights"
  • "Coffee & Cafes"
  • "Alcohol & Bars"
  • "Subscriptions"
  • "Impulse Purchases"

Creating Subcategories

Organise categories hierarchically for detailed tracking:

Example Hierarchy

  • Gambling (parent)
    • Sports Betting (child)
    • Online Casino (child)
    • Poker (child)
    • Racing (child)
    • Lottery (child)

Creating Subcategories

  1. Follow standard category creation steps
  2. In "Parent Category" field, select the parent
  3. Subcategory inherits parent's type
  4. Reports can show parent total or break down by children

Assigning Transactions to Categories

Manual Recategorisation

  1. Go to Transactions tab
  2. Find the transaction to recategorise
  3. Tap on the transaction
  4. Tap Category
  5. Select new category from list
  6. Tap Save

Bulk Recategorisation

  1. In Transactions, tap Select (top right)
  2. Select multiple transactions
  3. Tap Categorise at bottom
  4. Choose new category
  5. All selected transactions updated

Auto-Categorisation Rules

Create rules to automatically categorise future transactions:

  1. Go to Settings → Categories → Auto-Categorisation
  2. Tap + Add Rule
  3. Set conditions:
    • Merchant name contains...
    • Amount is...
    • Transaction type is...
  4. Choose category to assign
  5. Tap Save

Category Budgets

Set spending limits for custom categories:

Setting Category Budgets

  1. Go to Settings → Categories
  2. Tap on a category
  3. Select Budget
  4. Enter budget amount
  5. Choose period (weekly, fortnightly, monthly)
  6. Set alert threshold (e.g., alert at 80% of budget)
  7. Tap Save

Budget Alerts

  • 50% reached: Optional notification
  • 80% reached: Default warning
  • 100% reached: Budget exceeded alert
  • Over budget: Critical notification

Category Analytics

View spending insights by custom category:

Category Reports

  • Total spent per category
  • Percentage of total spending
  • Trend over time (increasing/decreasing)
  • Comparison to previous periods
  • Average transaction size

Accessing Category Analytics

  1. Go to Analytics → Categories
  2. View donut chart of spending distribution
  3. Tap any category for detailed view
  4. See transaction list, trends, and insights
  5. Export category-specific reports

Merging and Managing Categories

Merging Duplicate Categories

  1. Go to Settings → Categories
  2. Tap Manage (top right)
  3. Select categories to merge
  4. Tap Merge
  5. Choose which category to keep
  6. All transactions moved to kept category

Editing Categories

  • Tap on category in Settings → Categories
  • Edit name, colour, icon
  • Changes apply to all past and future transactions

Deleting Categories

  1. Go to Settings → Categories → Manage
  2. Swipe left on category or tap edit
  3. Tap Delete
  4. Choose what to do with transactions:
    • Move to another category
    • Move to Uncategorised
    • Delete transactions (not recommended)

Category Best Practices

  • Start simple: 10-15 categories is manageable; 50+ becomes overwhelming
  • Be specific but not obsessive: "Dining" not "Monday Lunch vs Friday Dinner"
  • Review regularly: Merge unused categories quarterly
  • Use for goals: Create categories that align with Dream Board
  • Leverage subcategories: For areas needing detailed tracking
  • Set budgets: Categories without budgets are just labels

Sharing Category Data

Control what your accountability partner sees:

Category Visibility Options

  • All categories visible: Full transparency
  • Selected categories: Choose which to share
  • Gambling only: Share only gambling-related categories
  • Totals only: Show amounts, not transaction details
  • Hidden: Category private to you

Troubleshooting Category Issues

Problem: Transactions Not Auto-Categorising

Solutions:

  • Check auto-categorisation rules are enabled
  • Merchant name may not match rule exactly
  • Create new rule for this merchant
  • Some merchants take time to be recognised

Problem: Too Many Uncategorised Transactions

Solutions:

  • Set aside time monthly to categorise backlog
  • Create auto-categorisation rules for common merchants
  • Some transactions genuinely can't be categorised—use "Uncategorised"
  • Bank may not provide merchant details for some transactions

Problem: Category Budgets Not Alerting

Solutions:

  • Check notifications are enabled for Whistl
  • Verify budget threshold is set correctly
  • Ensure transactions are assigned to correct category
  • Some alerts may be batched in daily summary

Category Export and Reporting

Export category data for external analysis:

Export Options

  • Category summary: Totals by category (PDF/CSV)
  • Category transactions: All transactions in category (CSV)
  • Budget vs actual: Comparison report (PDF/Excel)
  • Trend analysis: Category spending over time (PDF)

Conclusion

Custom categories transform Whistl from automatic tracking to intentional financial management. By organising spending in ways that matter to you, you gain clarity on patterns, progress toward goals, and areas needing attention. Start with a few key categories, refine over time, and use the insights to make better financial decisions.

Organise Your Spending

Custom categories give you deeper insights into your financial behaviour. Download Whistl and start categorising today.

Download Whistl Free

Related: Spending Analytics | Payday Savings | Exporting Data