Getting Started with Meridian

Welcome to Meridian — a budgeting app built on the envelope method, the idea that every dollar should have a job before you spend it.

This guide walks you through the philosophy, setting up your account, and building your first budget.

The Idea Behind Meridian

Most people track their money by looking backward: "Where did my money go last month?" That is useful information, but it does not help you make better decisions this month.

Meridian flips that around. Instead of categorizing past spending, you plan future spending. When money arrives — a paycheck, a refund, a gift — you decide what it is for before you spend it.

This is called envelope budgeting (or zero-based budgeting), and it works like this:

  1. Money arrives → It goes to your "On Deck" balance (unassigned money)
  2. You assign every dollar → Rent gets $1,200, groceries get $400, savings gets $200, and so on
  3. You spend from envelopes → When you buy groceries, the money comes out of your Groceries envelope
  4. When an envelope is empty, you stop → Or you move money from another envelope to cover it

The key insight: you only budget money you actually have right now. Not money you expect to earn, not projections — real dollars in your accounts today.

Two Ways to Start

Path A: Start Fresh (Recommended)

The traditional envelope approach. Start with today's balances and plan forward.

  1. Add your accounts with their current balances
  2. Look at your On Deck balance — that is all the money you have right now
  3. Create categories for everything your money needs to do
  4. Assign every dollar until On Deck reaches zero
  5. Going forward, categorize spending as it happens

Why start fresh? You are not trying to analyze the past — you are building a plan for the future. Historical transactions are noise when your goal is to answer: "What should this money do next?"

Path B: Import History + AI Analysis

Bank sync imports transactions going forward from the moment you connect — it does not pull in past history. If you want AI to analyze your historical spending, you can import past transactions via CSV export from your bank, or enter them manually. Combined with AI (see the AI & Automation guide), that historical data becomes useful:

  • AI can suggest categories based on your actual spending patterns
  • You can see where money has been going and make informed category decisions
  • Recurring bills are detected and can be set up automatically

This path works best with Meridian's AI features (BYO or Plutus). Without AI, imported history is just a pile of uncategorized transactions that you would need to sort manually.

To import history: Export a CSV from your bank's website and import it into Meridian, or connect your bank for future transactions and enter past ones manually. Then use AI to help categorize and analyze them.

Both paths lead to the same place: a working budget where every dollar has a job. Choose the one that fits your situation.

Creating Your Account

Sign Up with Google (Recommended)

  1. Visit Meridian and click Continue with Google
  2. Authenticate with your Google account
  3. You are taken to the Helm, ready to set up your first budget

Your email is automatically verified when you sign up with Google.

Sign Up with Email

  1. Click Create account on the login page
  2. Enter your name, email, and password
  3. Click Create account
  4. Check your email for a verification link and click it
  5. Sign in and start budgeting

Password requirements: At least 8 characters with uppercase, lowercase, number, and special character.

Your First Budget Session

When you first log in, Meridian creates a default budget called "My Course." Here is how to set it up.

Step 1: Add Your Accounts

Click + Add Account in the sidebar. You have two options:

  • Connect Your Bank — Meridian securely connects through Stripe Financial Connections. Your credentials stay with your bank. Transactions sync automatically.
  • Add Manually — Enter account name, type, and current balance. Good for accounts your bank does not support or if you prefer manual control.

Add your main checking account first, then savings, credit cards, and any loans.

Step 2: Look at On Deck

After adding accounts, look at the On Deck balance at the top of the Course screen. This is all the money in your on-budget accounts that has not been assigned to a category yet.

If you have $5,000 across your checking and savings accounts, your On Deck balance is $5,000. That is the money you need to give jobs to.

Step 3: Create Your Categories

Click + Add Category Group to create groups, then add categories within each group. Here is a starting point:

Fixed Expenses

  • Rent/Mortgage
  • Utilities
  • Insurance
  • Phone

Everyday Spending

  • Groceries
  • Gas/Transportation
  • Household

Lifestyle

  • Dining Out
  • Entertainment
  • Subscriptions

Savings & Goals

  • Emergency Fund
  • Vacation
  • Big Purchases

Debt Payments

  • Credit Card Payment
  • Student Loans

You can always add, rename, or reorganize categories later. Do not aim for perfection — start simple and adjust as you learn your patterns.

Step 4: Assign Every Dollar

Now the core of envelope budgeting. Go through each category and assign money:

  1. Click the Assigned column next to a category
  2. Type the amount (or use math: +100 to add, -50 to subtract)
  3. Press Enter

Prioritize in this order:

  1. Immediate obligations — Rent, utilities, minimum debt payments
  2. True expenses — Insurance, subscriptions (divide annual costs by 12)
  3. Everyday needs — Groceries, transportation
  4. Savings goals — Emergency fund, future purchases
  5. Quality of life — Dining, entertainment

Keep going until On Deck reaches zero. Every dollar accounted for.

If you run out of money before you run out of categories, that is normal. It means you have more needs than current funds — just prioritize and fund the most important categories first. When your next paycheck arrives, you will assign that money to the remaining categories.

Step 5: Live With It

Over the coming days and weeks:

  • Categorize transactions as they come in (or let bank sync and AI handle it)
  • Check category balances before spending — "Do I have money left for dining out?"
  • Move money between categories when plans change — that is not failure, that is budgeting
  • When new income arrives, assign it from On Deck to categories

The budget is a living plan, not a rigid contract. Adjust as life happens.

Understanding the Interface

The Helm

Your home base. See all your budgets at a glance, create new ones, or switch between them.

Course (Budget View)

Where you manage categories and assign money. Shows On Deck balance, category groups, assigned amounts, activity (spending), and available balances for each category.

Key columns:

  • Assigned — What you budgeted for this category this month
  • Activity — Spending (negative) or income (positive) this month
  • Available — What remains (Assigned + Activity + rollover from prior months)

Ledger (Transaction View)

Click any account in the sidebar to see its transactions. The Ledger shows dates, payees, categories, amounts, and statuses. This is where you:

  • View and categorize transactions
  • Add manual transactions
  • Set up recurring transactions
  • Import from CSV
  • Mark transactions as cleared

The Sidebar

Shows all your accounts grouped by type (Cash, Credit, Loans, Tracking). Click an account to open its Ledger. Click All Accounts for a combined view across all accounts.

A Note on Terminology

Meridian uses nautical terminology to make budgeting feel less like a chore:

  • Helm — Your dashboard (home base)
  • Course — Your budget (financial plan)
  • On Deck — Unassigned money (ready to be put to work)
  • Telescope — Future projection mode (see upcoming bills and income)
  • Arsenal — Debt payoff planner (strategic debt elimination)

Installing on Your Phone

Meridian is a Progressive Web App. Install it for a native app experience:

  1. Visit Meridian on your phone's browser
  2. Tap Install when prompted (or use Share > Add to Home Screen on iPhone)
  3. Open it from your home screen like any other app

Installing enables push notifications for new transactions, low balances, and more.

Next Steps

Now that you have the basics, explore these guides: