Help & Guide

Getting started

Set up bills, income, and debts in BFOD.us — type them in or import a spreadsheet. The fastest path from an empty account to a real debt-free date.

What's the “Getting started” checklist, and why can't I close it?

It's a welcome checklist that walks you through setup: two required steps — add your first income and your first bill — plus optional ones (plan a debt payoff, set a savings goal, set a giving goal, view your charts).

It won't dismiss until you finish at least one step, so a brand-new account always has some data before you dive in. Once closed, you can reopen it any time from More → Help & feedback → Setup checklist.

That same spot has “Take the tour”, which walks you back through the dashboard step by step (so does the button at the top of this Help guide). Once you have income or bills, replaying it changes nothing — it just narrates what you already have — and it doesn't take away the badge you earned the first time.

If your plan is still empty there's nothing to narrate, so the tour offers to load the sample household again. It shows you exactly what it will add and asks first; say yes and it clears the sample when the tour ends, putting back your own living-cost figure.

Do I have to type in every bill, or can I import a spreadsheet?

You can bulk-import. Use “Prefer a spreadsheet?” in the checklist (or More → Your data → Import from spreadsheet). Download the Excel template, fill in your bills, income, and debts, then upload it — nothing imports until every field is valid, and you get a preview before it commits.

Uploading updates as well as adds. Each row carries a hidden “BFOD ID” that “Download my data” fills in, so a row with an ID updates that exact entry in place and a row without one comes in as new. That's what makes download → edit → upload safe — and it's also why a workbook you downloaded before your last change will put those older figures back.

What's the fastest way to understand the app?

Add one income and one bill, then open your dashboard. The month view shows your paychecks and the bills each one covers; the cards up top (“north-stars”) roll your debt, savings, and giving into single dates you can watch improve.