What Is Multi-Dimensional Budgeting & How Do I Use It?

Multi-Dimensional Budgeting allows you to track Budget Categories in multiple ways. For example, it might be used by a large organization that has multiple physical branches that run semi-independently in different states. That organization could add a dimension called Branch, which would allow them to track their transactions by both Budget Category and Branch.

When using multi-dimensional budgeting, each budget category is assigned to a single dimension. Continuing with the example above, this organization might have categories with the Branch dimension for California, Texas, and New Mexico.

Then when adding and editing transactions, a budget category is selected for each dimension, allowing a transaction to be categorized in multiple ways.

If you haven’t yet, first install the Multi-Dimensional Budgeting tool by going to Add/Remove Tool under the Tools tab. Once this is done or if it already installed, you can access the Budget Dimensions page by clicking the blue Dimensions button at the bottom of the Budget Categories page. On this page you can add, edit, and delete Budget Dimensions.

Dimensions are an available field to search for in the Transactions report.

Default Budget Category

Each additional budget dimension must have a budget category assigned as default. This is used for two purposes: 

(1) On initial creation of the budget dimension, all existing transactions are assigned that budget category for the new dimension.

(2) When transactions are imported without additional budget dimension categories specified, the default category is used.