Reserve / Buffer
Also known as: Surplus, buffer, budget remainder
The reserve is the amount left after subtracting all expenses, saving, investing and guilt free. In most budget tools, a high reserve is good. In BudgetHeld, it's different.
Why is the goal 0?
A budget remainder of €549 sounds good — but it's unallocated money. Money without a purpose disappears. It gets spent here and there without you knowing where. The goal of a real budget: every euro has a purpose. Reserve = 0 doesn't mean you have nothing left. It means you've consciously distributed everything — to saving, investing, financial buffer or guilt free.
What to do with a positive reserve?
Increase your savings, invest more, or build your financial buffer faster. The reserve shows how much room you still have — use it actively instead of leaving it idle.
What if the reserve is negative?
Then you're spending more than you earn. That needs to change — look at your living costs. The biggest levers are housing and car. Sometimes reviewing subscriptions or habits is enough.
BudgetHeld says
In BudgetHeld, the reserve shows three colours: Green = perfect (€0, everything allocated), Gold = unallocated (increase saving/investing), Red = you're spending more than you earn. The goal is green.
Related tools
Budget tool — Overview →Related Terms
Written by David El Dib — Financial expert & founder of MoneyTalk